Yorkshireman
11 years ago
The nearest known pit to this must be Beamish Fifth Pit.

Location 421800 553800 (Dated 1784)

http://www.nmrs.org.uk/mines/coal/maps/england3.html 

Maybe an air shaft for it.
poosticker83
11 years ago
I think it may be slightly closer to the mary pit location, not by much mind.................also on 1850s O/S map its just shown as old shaft.

then again there is some drifts heading west from the closest bank of the river team on the same map.

heres the DMM link to the mary pit info

http://www.dmm.org.uk/shafts/b001-01.htm 


Damned if you do, and damned if you don''''''''t.
lyons
  • lyons
  • 50.2% (Neutral)
  • Newbie
11 years ago
Hi I uploaded them, as old maps show there are quite a few "Old Shafts" or "Air Shafts" littered around, I have studied the old maps and cannot find 1st Pit ? But as mentioned the 2nd Pit was located in the car park (on the left) as you approach Beamish Museum, Shepherd and Shepherdess Public House on the right.
It is believed that this Air shaft was for the workings toward The Mahogany Drift Mine which is situated in the Museum Pit village, There was also a few shafts and later a Fan to the East and a number of shafts behind the 2nd Pit near the road behind the museum.
I'm unsure if there were older than the 2nd Pit or just abandoned (remember the age of these mines Air shafts were necessary due to the primitive ventilation) but all these shafts indicate they were working Noth toward the Mahogany drift.
The Mary Shaft was an Air shaft and Pit that turned into a Mine (outliving the 2nd Pit, although that mine sat abandoned until the 1970s when The Museum saved it and rebuilt it in the Museum).

Hope this helps, I have uploaded The Beamish Mary, with some maps to follow.
poosticker83
11 years ago
some interesting information, thanks, not an area ive gotten to have a good look around but it is on the cards.

Damned lead mines had to be so close................

have you managed to get a look at any plans for the area?




Damned if you do, and damned if you don''''''''t.
lyons
  • lyons
  • 50.2% (Neutral)
  • Newbie
11 years ago
Hi as mentioned I knew about the "Old Shaft" and although I don't live far from this site, Its not an area I visit often, I purely discovered the recent work by The Coal Authority by accident as we went for a walk after a full lunch in The Shepherd's...

Have not seen anything regarding the old shaft, however possibly due to the heavy rains, They finally got around to backfilling the shaft? Though I'm not sure if this shaft had a wall/fence around it or was just an indentation or cap?

I have been trying to upload more maps for the Mary Colliery but not all have uploaded... will keep trying !

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