Recently came across the fact that the Coal Authority publish quarterly statistics on numbers of opencast and underground mines including manpower and output:

http://coal.decc.gov.uk/assets/coal/publicationsandinformation/7565-coal-mining-production-and-manpower-returns-janua.pdf 

As of March 2013 there were only 11 coal mines listed in the UK - including some mothballed or otherwise not producing. Total manpower was 2,987 and total output was 1.4mt for the three months January to March. There were 9 mines listed in England, 2 mines listed in Wales, and none listed in Scotland.

Mines are only listed by local authority, not by name, so a little guesswork or local knowledge is needed to identify them. I've had a stab at naming the mines and listing their current status but am sure that Aditnow members with local knowledge can correct any errors:

Doncaster: 1 mine employing 459, output 232,000 tonnes: Hatfield.
Gloucestershire: 1 mine employing 1, output 110 tonnes: Monument.
Lancashire: 1 mine employing 7, output 510 tonnes: Hilltop.
North Yorkshire: 1 mine employing 731, output 570,000 tonnes: Kellingley.
Northumberland: 1 mine employing 4, output 172 tonnes: Ayle.
Nottinghamshire: 2 mines employing total of 619, output 308,000 tonnes: Harworth (mothballed); Thoresby.
Rotherham: 1 mine employing 388, output 5,000 tonnes: Maltby (closed April 2013).
Warwickshire: 1 mine employing 532, output 222,000 tons: Daw Mill(closed March 2013).
Neath Port Talbot: 2 mines employing total of 246, output 11,000 tons: Aberpergwm (Mothballed); Unity.

http://www.dcservices.co.uk/news/1179308/ten-year-extension-allowed-eckington-drift-mine 

I'm also aware of Hayward Drift in the Forest of Dean which, as far as I am aware, is being developed; possibly it is omitted from the Coal Authority report because it is not yet producing?

Can Aditnow members clarify the status of these two collieries?

Eckington closed last year,the site is still being cleared.
Last of the Derbyshire coal mines, though we still have one
gypsum at Fauld and one fluorite mine at Milldam working.

Dark Mole

The CA received an application for a new licence for Eckington from a company called European Coal Products Ltd. The application was received on 24th May 2013 and is currently being processed.

Hayward Drift has been mentioned in dispatches as being 'developed', 'on development', 'ready to start up again', etc., etc. for as long as I can remember.

Thats not to say that nothing is happening there but I would have thought that they would have to get an application into the CA if they want to actually work it instead of developing it.

Finally, Abergergym is supposed to be coming off C&M in the not too distant future and will start coaling again.

The site was never really mothballed as there was / is always something going on in there - dumpers, lorries and all sorts zooming around the site.

Know the boys at Haywood I believe they hope to go back there in the near future

Dan y graig No.4 is on development also.

Is Milldam working now?

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Thanks for the updates and corrections everyone. As is usual with small mines in the modern era they change ownership and / or open and close with such frequency that it is difficult to keep up with their current status.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CD4QFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fplanning.npt.gov.uk%3A8251%2Fview.aspx%3FDoc%3D241445&ei=3ojFUd-rBsnF0QXmroGIDw&usg=AFQjCNFir9MOpBq5CJfAynH-i3KSu55dmQ&sig2=Y6cZCKUteCGiXXaVMzcQmQ  suggests that they would drive a little west of northwest to get beyond the workings from Dan y Graig No.2 by continuing the existing drifts through the old workings of Dan y Graig No.2,

What's the throw of the north-south fault that marked the western limit of workings from Dan y Graig No.s 2 and 3? I ask, because to judge from the plan, it seemed to have realtively little effect on the layout of workings within Dan y Graig No.4.

What's the section at Dan y Graig - thickness of seam, any dirt bands, soundness of roof (the plan gives the impression of a good roof) and softness / hardness of floor?

Were the southernmost workings of Dan y Graig No.4 (shown pink-stippled on the plan) pumped (and if so, how heavy was the pumping), or did they drain naturally down dip via Llwynon and Penybont workings?

Thanks in anticipation of any information you can provide!

Graigfawr,
For some reason the plan wont come up with me,but from memory,the No.4 levels are roughly.100yds Southish from the No.2 level,where a Bully/Drift ,50yds inside level went to the dip,for roughly 200yds,then turned West,as a level,i put in place a double partin at this point before i left the Colliery,other levels were driven of this drift Westwards,the whole length of the drift,these stopped near the Westward Roll/jump,shown on the plan right up through the mountain,in front of No`s 2 and 3 levels,
The jump was proven in the lower No.4 level,a 7ft jump/roll,when conveyor faces were driven Southwards firstly in the direction of Llwynonn,but never hit the workings,but a connection was made back to the surface in the old opencast high wall of the early 60`s workings.

Last time ispoke with owner,the top No.4 level,was through the No.2 workings,through the jump,but now had roughly 1ooyds of workings in the conveyor faces of No.4 to drive through before hitting solid coal,

The lower No.4 level,has roughly 150yds of No.2 gobs to drive through,the jump,and 100-150 yds of old conveyor face gobs to contend with,before an adequate ventilation system can be planned,before the main coal development can commence.

When i workedt here,the section was just over 2ft of coal,with 9ins to a foot of clod,roof was`nt to bad,but i did hit a bad slip on the level i worked in the late 70`s,the roof was dodgy for a while,with a clay slime between the beds,will rolls in the strata,but no problem for a Collier with a sharp Ty Gwyn,lol.

They reckon beyond the jump the section is nearer a yard of coal,and the clod around 6ins,but i ain`t seen it.

Think i`ve covered it all?

Many thanks Ty Gwyn - the development becomes a lot clearer thanks to your explnation.

The plan is on planning.npt.gov.uk:8251/view.aspx?Doc=241445

From your description, it seems the plan omits the old conveyor faces you mention as being driven through. This makes sense as the latest dates on the workings shown on the plan are 9.10.97 and there must have been 15 yearsworth of additional workings somewhere nearby.

1997 was the year last worked by the conveyor faces at No.4,it was available to rent for 1,000 pounds a week,but had no takers,and was on Care and maintenance up till a few years back when the company was joined by the owners of Johnson,the company name i cannot think of at the moment,but Chinese owned,then the re-opening happened and the augering of the old opencast high wall,from No.2 up past No.3,

If you look at the plan,the conveyor faces of No.4,go Southish off the lower No.4 level,skirting around the lower No.2 workings were i finished off,and went through the jump,and carried on working Northwards up along the jump,to a point a little lower than the No.2 level,which if had been re-opened,would have reached the virgin coal the otherside the jump ,at a shorter distance,and saved on the present expense of dead work.

Got the 2nd link to work now,my non PC brain,lol

That was the planning application for the Surface Augering ,from No.2 level up past No.3 ,not as much coal as they thought,some sections were less than 30ft,not the 100yds stated,although a good read of the plans would have told them,and of course the extra bits worked not on plan,lol.

Eckington is open again after a short closure.

Eckington closed last year,the site is still being cleared.
Last of the Derbyshire coal mines, though we still have one
gypsum at Fauld and one fluorite mine at Milldam working.

Dark Mole

Last time I looked, Fauld was still in Staffordshire 🙂

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Is Milldam working now?

yep up and running again restarted back end of last year

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