stanley stables
6 years ago
Hi

We own some land across the Road from the former Stanley Kilbourne Colliery which was i believe a drift mine, it was situated on Sough Lane, Stanley, Derbyshire which is now renamed Dale Road. We have recently been told that there was a weighbridge on our land in connection with the pit, does anyone have any information or old photos, I have viewed the ones on here of the old mine - Thx
AR
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6 years ago
Hi, looking at 25" ordnance survey maps on the NLS (https://maps.nls.uk/geo/find/#zoom=14&lat=52.9578&lon=-1.3604&layers=101&b=1&point=52.9591,-1.3577) it shows a shaft on Stanley Kilbourne Colliery, though there is a building on the opposite side of the road on what I presume is your ground. It could well be a weighbridge, being adjacent to the road and at a mine with no rail link.

Derbyshire coal mining is not my speciality but there are some other members on here who do know a lot more about that subject and will hopefully see this and respond. I can however tell you that the Midland dialect word "sough" means a drain, and in a mining context it refers to an underground drainage level. Given the adjacent brook, this does suggest a shallow, and hence old, level somewhere in the area.
Follow the horses, Johnny my laddie, follow the horses canny lad-oh!
stanley stables
6 years ago
Thank you for the Map links they are really interesting going back so far, the building you see opposite the mine was indeed on our land. There is a manhole cover in the verge in front of the old mine and you can hear rushing water beneath it seemingly constant, people seem to think that it is water draining from the old mine, I have read that it was used as a pumping station in latter years of its working life for other seams ? thx
AR
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  • Newbie
6 years ago
That sounds like a sough or a pumpway is still doing its job! It's entirely possible that the mine was later used as a pump station, several worked-out mines were still drained where they were strategically placed to move water away from uncut seams.
Follow the horses, Johnny my laddie, follow the horses canny lad-oh!
stanley stables
6 years ago
Where do you think the water would be pumped to ? There is a small pond down the road on the same side as the old mine and a local said he thought when that pond was full it drained under the road and across our land I wonder if it fills with water from the mine ? You can see the pond on maps, We do have a wet area almost opposite the pond across our land and i wonder if it drains across that area although there is no outlet i can see into the brook. We are eagarly awaiting for some old photos that someone has said they have of the mine and i think our land too:)
AR
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  • Newbie
6 years ago
I'm not sure what was being shifted to where in relation to the pumping, but I've a vague recollection of seeing a plan showing the various sites in the Derbyshire coalfield and there were sub-stations moving water to the main sites where it was pumped out.
Follow the horses, Johnny my laddie, follow the horses canny lad-oh!

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