Glasgow University Colliery · AditNow Community

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

Cuban Bloodhound
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

12 years ago

Does anyone know anything about the coal mine that was supposedly accessible from Glasgow University? Here's the reference to it from Mines in Scotland:
"The underground workings of an old colliery which formerly occupied the site of Glasgow University has been preserved and is used as a store for equipment. Hutches, rails and equipment still in situ [1968]. Mine is pumped and ventilated."

I assume it would've been accessed from a drift but the CA map only shows shafts in the area, and there's no sign of any collieries on maps covering the previous hundred years.

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

christwigg
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

Interesting, there are a couple of photos at the bottom of the page.

http://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/chemistry/aboutus/history/chemistrybuildings/

Still under the Joseph Black Building from an entrance in the sub-basement of the building apparently.

christwigg
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

I'll bet a penny to a pound this is the ventilation shaft.

http://goo.gl/maps/qtTEI

rikj
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

Some info on the ~Hidden Glasgow forums:

http://www.hiddenglasgow.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3736&start=30

various stuff on different pages.

fjällvandring
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

If you go here please let me know sounds fascinating! I've seen some of your stuff on flickr. Makes you wonder if there are other mine workings beneath buildings in the area?

jeg elsker Norge, landets dialekter, folk, landskap og naturen!

Cuban Bloodhound
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

12 years ago

Those are a few interesting links; I'll send an email off to the university to see if they have any more information.

Pyroninja
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

That right there is the way in. You can look through the grille and see a modern access platform with ladders that take you down to the roadway, it's only a 3/4ft drop and you're on the road way itself. Cuban and I had a go at getting some information from the university itself, even asking the estates department who had no idea about it and were quite surprised to hear about it. Apparently they used to take geography students into it to show them the varying rock strata.

rikj
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

I wonder about the question of ownership. The Coal Authority own "the majority" of coal in the country. They issue licences and permits for mining, remediation, prospecting etc.

As far as I'm aware you need explicit permission from the CA to enter old workings. In their own words:

"Any activity which intersects, disturbs or enters any of the Authority's coal interests requires our prior written authorisation."

Unless this is an anomaly and the workings are owned by the university.

More likely I guess it has just fallen between two stools.

fjällvandring
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

Kind of a shame, it's almost authoritarian like ''this is ours'' which I never can agree with. Not to say in against the authority

jeg elsker Norge, landets dialekter, folk, landskap og naturen!

RJV
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#10

"fjällvandring" wrote:
Kind of a shame, it's almost authoritarian like 'this is ours' which I never can agree with. Not to say in against the authority

Er, indeed.

christwigg
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#11

"fjällvandring" wrote:
Kind of a shame, it's almost authoritarian like 'this is ours' which I never can agree with.

The Coal Authority being almost authoritarian, who would have guessed !

fjällvandring
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#12

Just my view 🙂

jeg elsker Norge, landets dialekter, folk, landskap og naturen!

Cuban Bloodhound
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

12 years ago

#13

"rikj" wrote:
I wonder about the question of ownership. The Coal Authority own "the majority" of coal in the country. They issue licences and permits for mining, remediation, prospecting etc.

As far as I'm aware you need explicit permission from the CA to enter old workings. In their own words:

"Any activity which intersects, disturbs or enters any of the Authority's coal interests requires our prior written authorisation."

Unless this is an anomaly and the workings are owned by the university.

More likely I guess it has just fallen between two stools.

Can anyone point to the legislation that says which mines passed into British Coal/Coal Authority ownership? I'm giving myself a sore head reading through various mining acts.

LeeW
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

12 years ago

#14

"Cuban Bloodhound" wrote:

Can anyone point to the legislation that says which mines passed into British Coal/Coal Authority ownership? I'm giving myself a sore head reading through various mining acts.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1994/21/contents

Which deals with the formation of the Coal Authority etc in 1994

I went in a mine once.... it was dark and scary..... full of weirdos

When do I get my soapbox, I need to rant on about some b***cks

Cuban Bloodhound
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

12 years ago

#15

I'd skimmed through that and couldn't find it, think I've found it now under Section 7 (3):
"On the restructuring date the Corporation’s interests in unworked coal and coal mines, including its interests in any coal that, notwithstanding having been worked at some time, is so attached to or incorporated in any coal mine or other land as to be, in law, a part of it, shall vest without further assurance in the Authority."