Looking for any info relating to coal mines in and near Barnsley
Peter

Blimey thats a big area.... anywhere specific we can point you to? Welcome & regards ICLOK :flowers:

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I am not sure how many there were in the area the only one I have found so far is Barnsley Main and one at Elscar. I have only just started looking at the area in relation to the canal and rail network

Loads of remains, should keep you busy for ages.
Keep a lookout for the Newcomen pumping engine at Elsecar & "Brittania" on top of the hill, overlooking Barnsley Main. Not from there but I think it's Ardsley?, commemorating the Oaks disaster.

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Thanks to Both I have the feeling this could take years. 🙂
I live miles from Barnsley so have to use maps and the net. As and when I find anything I will add it to this site
Peter

Thanks Boaz Now I have something to work on

Further afield but still in the "Barnsley" district, South Kirkby, Ferrymoor Riddings, Newmillerdam, Wharncliffe, Denby Grange, Bullcliffe Wood, Emley Moor, Park Mill,Caphouse (now the National Coal Mining Museum and an excellent place to visit and get info from), JD Flack's Hayroyds Mine (private), Kinsley Drift, Grimethorpe

Thanks for those mate I had forgot how important Barnsley was in mining 🙂

Try to get second-hand OS one inch maps for the area. The older the better.

Most collieries were rail-connected, so easy enough to follow railways, including disused lines and sidings. Also look for tips.

Old copies of the "Guide to the Coalfields" are harder to find, but contain maps showing locations of collieries.

Try to get second-hand OS one inch maps for the area. The older the better.

Most collieries were rail-connected, so easy enough to follow railways, including disused lines and sidings. Also look for tips.

Old copies of the "Guide to the Coalfields" are harder to find, but contain maps showing locations of collieries.

Some good ideas there, & don't forget the Barnsley canal. It left the Aire & Calder, east of Wakefield & after about 15 miles, ended in Barugh. Much of the route can still be traced, tho' only a few sections are still in water. One of the reasons it closed in the early 50's was, ironically, mining subsidence :blink:.

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If you are visiting the Barnsley area, this is a good place to look for local history books, a lot of these cover the mining industry:

http://www.oldbarnsley.co.uk/ 

Also prints from old postcards on sale.

The stall is in the upstairs section of the indoor Market, near the cafes. Run by a splendid chap called Chris Sharpe.

Thanks chaps I have some old 1 in os maps but need to have a look at larger scale when I can I have been in contact with the canal group (Mike Silk) and also the council Heritage people. All very helpful. Next step trying to plot the development of rail/canal links in the area

Peter

Many of my relatives worked in the pits South of Barnsley in and around the Elsecar area. I have found the following resources useful.
Maps - The Godfrey Edition maps are great value about £2;50 each, they have plenty available of the Barnsley area in addition to the 15" to the mile detail there are plenty of historical notes, extracts from local directories etc on the back along with references. The Elsecar sheet has, I think 4 coal pits on it.
http://www.alangodfreymaps.co.uk/barnsley.htm 
The British Geographical Survey have a geological map of the Barnsley Area which shows the coal seam outcrops and some pit locations. There is also a "memoir" that accompanies the map, this is pretty technical but does give you some great details on the coal seams and the maps and diagrams give you an insight into some of the difficulties encountered underground.
They are available here:
http://shop.bgs.ac.uk/Bookshop/product.cfm?p_id=CA37C 
http://shop.bgs.ac.uk/Bookshop/product.cfm?p_id=EM087 
Books
Aristocratic Enterprise: The Fitzwilliam Industrial Undertakings, 1795-1857 by Graham Mee. Out of print but available on ABE for about £8. This is book about the Fitzwilliams who ran the mines around Elsecar until the formation of the NCB. This book covers the period whilst they moved from what were basically drift mines into "deep" drained by pumps. It's a fascinating read as the Fitzwilliams were perhaps the most generous mine owners in the country and there pits were pretty well managed. There is also a discussion the iron making and other industries they got involved in.
Black Diamonds by Catherine Bailey - More about the Fitzwilliams and their aristocratic antics but some great photographs and descriptions of the lives of the miners and not a bad read. Still in print and available
Pen & Sword books are based in Barnsley and produce several books about the coal mining industry in the area, there web site focuses on their military books but if you search for "Barnsley" plenty of mining books come up.
There is also this article
http://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/54/Lidgett.htm 
Which is about a very small pit to the south of Elsecar but goes into a lot of details about how the railways were crucial to a pits success again some good maps and photos showing the area and one of a miner down a pit.
I'm no expert and some of the sources I have suggested might not be perfect but I have found all of them interesting and useful.
Good Luck

Gavin

Thanks A lot of good info there 🙂