Little Mountain colliery in Buckley

Mine exploration, photographs and mining history for mine explorers, industrial archaeologists, researchers and historians

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

andyste1
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

16 years ago

Hi, I'm interested in the local mining history, and we have the site of the Little Mountain colliery a few hundred yards away. Not much remains except large mounds with the capped shafts on top. Where would I find more information such as how deep the shafts are? The NCB?

Thanks in advance
Andy

Wanna join the discussion?! Login to your AditNow Community forum account or Register a new forum account

martymarty
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

"andyste1" wrote:
Hi, I'm interested in the local mining history, and we have the site of the Little Mountain colliery a few hundred yards away. Not much remains except large mounds with the capped shafts on top. Where would I find more information such as how deep the shafts are? The NCB?

Thanks in advance
Andy

where is little mountain colliery Buckley??
😉
M

nid oes bradwr yn y ty hwn

jagman
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

One of a considerable number of small to medium sized collieries that lie beneath quite a lot of houses.
Most of Buckley and the surrounding area are built on coal, much coals still remains too.

As for records they will now be held by the Coal Authority and you should be able to get details from them.
http://www.coal.gov.uk/

andyste1
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

16 years ago

Thanks for the replies. For info it's approx 1 mile east of Buckley town centre, just down the hill from the old Lane End brickworks:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=ch7+3ar&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=13.992538,26.674805&ie=UTF8&ll=53.168347,-3.057568&spn=0.00692,0.013025&t=h&z=16

The triangle of trees in the centre of the map hides a hillock approx 6m high. One of the capped shafts is on the top, the other is in the scrubland approx 100 yards south-west.

AR
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

The Coal Authority should have the abandonment plan for the mine, which will show the final extent of the workings, plus they should know shaft depths and details of the capping.

I've just had a quick look at what they charge for plan copies, but on scrolling down I was delighted to note the exemption from regular mining licence fees for working within the hundred of St. Briavels.....Then again, if the Forest of Dean freemining is in law in the same way as the Peak District rights are, they couldn't do otherwise without a new act of parliament!

Follow the horses, Johnny my laddie, follow the horses canny lad-oh!

carnkie
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

If you are looking for earlier info. although no doubt you have looked here.http://www.archivesnetworkwales.info/cgi-bin/anw/search2?coll_id=2154&inst_id=28&term=flintshire

The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.

miner1985
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

Found this about Mountain Colliery - don't know it's the same one?

http://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/Photo.htm

Then scan down to North Wales (on the left) and look for Mountain Buckley

JR
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

"AR" wrote:
.... I was delighted to note the exemption from regular mining licence fees for working within the hundred of St. Briavels.....Then again, if the Forest of Dean freemining is in law in the same way as the Peak District rights are, they couldn't do otherwise without a new act of parliament!

.

Oh Freeminers rights are well protected in law and are re-enforced by a (now) small group of exceedingly committed miners

sleep is a caffeine deficiency.

blondin
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

Tried Buckley History Society?The y have a web page,and hold meetings (once a month I think).You could try Buckley library: They sell CD rom full of hundreds of archive photos of all aspects of Buckley such as local clay/coal industry.Takes a lot of sifting through if looking for something specific,but still worth a look.
I know of at least three locally capped mine heads in that area (the `know(le) hill).and there are many tales of houses being unknowingly built over mining areas and collapsing overnight!`Strong possibility`of tunnels under my house apparently,according to the estate agents survey (mine caps about 2 minute walk away).

pacef8
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

#10

I know that area well, a mate lives up on min id isa ! by the free land and horses.

this might help

http://www.nkc.co.uk/new/home.htm

The rail line ran down to deeside and you can still see the line where is crosses the mold road just past the a55 ewlow junction .

blondin
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

#11

Forgot to mention the book `The Making of Buckley And District`by T.W Pritchard has a small section on the local collieries.Again available from the library.
A house behind me is fenced off and boarded up by the NCB,due to subsidance!And a neighbour has a problem with one end of garden sinking... 😞

Grumpytramp
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

16 years ago

#12

I have a copy of the Memoirs of the Geological Survey;"The Geology of the country around Flint, Hawarden and Caergwrle"; C B Webb and W B R King; 1924.

It refers briefly to Little Mountain Colliery:

Quote:

From the Hollin Fault in the north, bewteen Ewloe and Ewloe Green, the Great Ewloe Run, a belt including the continious outcrops of the Main and Hollin coal, and having width that varies between 600 yds and nearly half a mile, extends southwards for nearly two miles, exclusive of its continuation at Little Mountain. This important mining-area, practically exhausted earlier than the date of H Beckets report some years ago before 1890, is bounded to the east by the Great Elwoe Fault, and on the west by the Ewloe West and Great Fireclay faults. It was worked principally from the Aston Hall Colliery in the north and from Mount Pleasant and the Sandycroft further south; while its continuation southwards was exploited by the Little Mountain or Hawarden Colliery - all now dismantled except Mount Pleasant Colliery

and

Quote:

At the Little Mountain or Hawarden Colliery (see Marginal Section sheet 108) Shafts Nos 1-3 were sunk upon two western step of the Great Ewloe Fault, there consisting of at least three steps. No.1, the most easterly shaft, reached the Hollin Coal at 180 ft, considerably above its normal position west of the fault belt. In No.4 about 270 yards to the to the west north west, the Rough Coal is said to lie at 390 ft, the Main at 435ft

As is typical of the Memoirs of this age, it is a fantastic work that a mass of additional mining detail about the adajacent workings, coal geology, trials and shafts. Well worth checking the local reference library for a copy 🙂

andyste1
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

16 years ago

#13

Thanks again to everyone for replying. It has been very useful. A trip to the library or records office methinks.

As an aside, are there any clubs in North Wales that specialise in exploration of old mines? I've seen some amazing pictures of the Milwr tunnel on other websites, and the huge limestone caverns near Mold - something that has always fascinated me.

Cheers
Andy