I'd be grateful to colleagues for any steers on the subject of the Dore
coal mines, in south-west Sheffield, once I believe named "Limb Pits". They
were situated in a small valley just off Limb Lane in an area now
land-filled and turned over to recreation. I remember from the 50s and
early 60s that there were two bricked up adits, of fairly small profile,
just to the side of the bridge over the Limb Brook, and a lot of shaley
spoil. I also recall an elderly friend of my parents, who still live in
Dore, referring to a haulage level which he asserted once ran under the
village itself, although the lie of the land suggests that this is either
mistaken, or it's very shallow indeed. I'm aware of the coal mines at
nearby Ringinglow and have an old PDMHS survey report covering those, and
wonder if there is any connection.

Also, just outside the village on the Derbyshire side, on Blacka Moor,
there is an abandoned ganister quarry now occupied by a riding stables.
This was another favourite haunt when we were kids, and apart from
abandoned equipment like rails, tubs, a diesel driven dump truck and a jaw
crusher, there were also a couple of shaley levels driven in at the foot of
the main working face, but whether these represented just a trial or coal
was actually mined I don't know. But it is perhaps significant that just
across the valley from the quarry there were another couple of adits, so
something was tempting local adventurers.

Information on either, both or connected sites would be welcome. Despite
having turned from a proper farming village into a very affluent suburb of
Sheffield (i.e. "totally ruined" as my father would say), there is a
thriving village history society and a paper on the local mining and
quarrying activities would be of great interest.

Thanks in advance.

John


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