Barytes and Witherite Mining in North West Durham

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marley hill
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

9 years ago

I'm putting together some notes on the mining of the above minerals in the collieries of New Brancepeth, Ushaw Moor, Morrison North and Craghead, plenty of info from Dunham on the geology and the location from DMM The actual working of these orebodies by stoping in a working pit is very limited. As all of these mines are now closed finding personal memories and even mine plans showing the links between the coal seams and orebodies is limited.
Any help please

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staffordshirechina
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

I doubt it is much help as he is probably dead by now but John Bennington, one of Her Majesty's Inspector of Mines in North Derbyshire in the 1970's and 1980's worked there in his younger/training days. I remember him telling us that "he worked the witherite at Morrison Busty".
He was inspector for the non-coal mines in Derbyshire for many years as he "knew what a stope was" and other inspectors had only ever worked coal. He lived in Glenthorne Close, Chesterfield at that time.
I know he had a son who would be aged middle to late fifties now.

davetidza
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

9 years ago

I presume you have been in touch with the North of England Institute of Mining Engineers at Newcastle to see if anything was published in their Transactions or elsewhere?

marley hill
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

9 years ago

I have obtained a copy of 'Handbook of Witherite and its Industrial uses' published by The Holmside and South Moor Collieries Ltdand The Owners of Settlingstones Mines Ltd.
Published in 1940

It has a small section on its mining but the rest of the processing and its various uses in a whole range of other industrial products is beyond my A level chemistry

I can offer it as a loan to anyone interested as the photos are mainly of varios processing plant