Sorry if this is a bit late, but work has meant I have been about a week
behind on reading my e-mails from the Mining-History List.
I live in Deepcar and have known about the headgear there since I was
little (1970s). As well as the two brick columns there is a wall around the
top of the shaft (capped), a hand winch and a small pulley anchored in the
field nearby, as well as the main wheel onto of the columns. It all looks
very nice (should I try to get a photograph sent over the e-mail).
I remember being told a bit about the mines by a Junior School Teacher (she
had taught my dad and is still going strong although long since retired).
The AIA book, written by a friend, lists is Hollin Busk Colliery & Clay
Mine, working Coking Coal at 108ft and Pot Clay (Fire Clay ?) at 261ft
A little lower down the hill are two shafts that were filled capped at some
before 1976. They were in the playing field of the junior school,
surrounded by walls and trees, and in wet weather water came out of at
least one of them !
There was also an adit into the hillside from a brick works (Clough
Fireclay Works). I am sure I was told these two were connected.
On the opposite side of the valley, the local steelworks (Samual Fox & Co.,
later B.S.C.) had a drift mine. In the 1930's they had 6 faces each with a
coal cutting machine. The entrance is still supposed to exist inside one of
the workshops. The mine was for coal and there are two seams with clay and
fire clay around them. The coal is supposed to be the southern extreme of
the Barnsley bed, but I have seen reference to 'Halifax' coal. Close by
several older adits were opened up when the Stocksbridge By-pass (A616) was
built in 1986.
>From my involvement with the South Yorkshire Industrial History Society I
had considered measuring and drawing the Headgear if this has not already
been done (it is 10 minutes walk from home - up hill all the way).
If anybody on the Mining History list could offer any further history
details or other clues, I may be able to put enough together to include it
as a link from the Web site for Wortley Top Forge Museum that I am
constructing - http://www.top-forge.fsnet.co.uk/
If think there is a small steel headframe at the site of Bradwell Spar
Mine, Derbyshire and a couple of kibbles. The workings there are now
opencast and I have never seen reference to the depth of any workings
there.
Also I see you have Parys Mountain on the list. The Shaft there is 'Morris
Shaft' sunk in the 1980s, while the shafts at Penrhyn are 'Fitzroy' (by the
Office, painted white) and 'Princess May' (one level down, more complete).
Other four shafts are supposed to still exist, but headgear is gone
Regards
Andrew Hurrell
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