Bell Pits were used for mining iron ore in Sussex upto the closure of the
last wood fired blast furnace at Ashburnham in 1813.
The hills around Brightling are pock marked with the remains of these pits.
Brian French
----- Original Message -----
From: "Albyn Austin" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2002 8:55 PM
Subject: Bell Pits and Similar Early Mine Workings
> 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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