Reading the latest Northern Mines publication, No. 68. Oldham Coal by Gerry
Fanning, and a very good book by the way, there is a brief 19th century
description of early bell pit workings for coal. This is the first
convincing description of these workings I've come across, apart from flint
mines such as Grimes Graves. Do members have any references to other
descriptions of bell pits, especially for coal, please? The only other
descriptions of early workings seem to be either long wall or pillar and
stall, or stopes on veins, eg Tudor Miners of Coleorton in Leicestershire by
Robert Hartley in Mining before Powder, PDMHS Bulletin Vol. 12, No. 3, summer
1994. or HMS Special Publication. It seems any old shallow shaft is often
described as a bell pit, without any idea of what workings actually went on
below ground.
Comments and suggestions welcome, Albyn Austin.
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