Hello all,
I work at a small coal mine in northern England. We had a visit a couple of weeks ago from Coal Authority closed mines officials. These have been appointed in all the former coal mining areas to check the security of mine entrances, cappings, also dealing with collapses. They had underground and surface photos of a site off the internet and wondered if it was ours.
They are now actively trying to match photographs on mine exploration sites with locations to see if they can seal off the access point permanently. They are probably members of this group for all we know.
Be very careful about passing on locations to anyone you do not know well.
I am told they have sealed off Draycott Colliery substantially with probably no chance of further access. Here is the site;
http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/sites/d/draycott_cross_colliery/index.shtml 
Believe it or not they are on a bonus package depending on how many illegal access points they find and seal off so are pretty determined.

As I understand it the Coal Authority still have jurisdiction over abandoned coal mines and do not allow access under any circumstances.

An exception is the Royal Forest of Dean which is subject to ancient mining laws, however the situation with the Coal Authority is a rather uneasy one. Someone more knowledgable than me would have to elaborate on this.

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Yes there is a positive push to locate and treat sites you mention rather than wait for them to collapse... which in the eyes of the UKCA is a good idea and in general terms as far as the public is concerned a good idea.... (NO I dont work for them or tell them anything) but this according to what I have been told has been ongoing a while. I had also heard via another contact they use the various sites to track some workings down off their list but then again so would I in their shoes, and I am also pretty certain there is no army of guys sat looking at the internet. Trust me on this though they are methodically working through sites for which they have no treatment records on their marked up area plans and I too got this off people working on a site local to me and again at another site this summer that had opened up.

EDIT- I must admit I have been surprised in the past on how open folk have been with underground coal mine pics here and on other sites.... especially as it seems common knowledge what UKCA's view on exploring these places will be.

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I can only add that not all disused coal mines are dangerous, I have been in 17th century workings with perfect air quality and as solid as they day they were created.
The keener coal mine explorers I know use gas alarms, breathing apparatus and are often ex miners. They at least don't have to worry about radon accumulation, flash floods etc! As for cave divers, well...........

I am sure thats right but from the UKCA point of view its just another disused working to them that needs treating... there is very little nostalga for these sites... hence why in my surveying of coal remains / sites around here I keep stum and only communicate it to friends if I find old drainage levels etc that go. However if I find collapsing shafts and strange openings I phone em as I don't want it on my concience if a kid in Shipley park or somewhere similar gets swallowed up.

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True, old coal mine soughs etc which kids may be able to get into, especially dry ones which they will explore more extensively, should be gated due to blackdamp dangers

Erm they are usually just a pipe or veeery small brick culverts, usually collapsed.... a two year old would struggle to get in!!! Man size they ain't!!! :lol:

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Coalboard, could you post this on ME as well please? Unless you're doing that as I type.....

Enjoyed the book thanks, hope you enjoyed the £20 note 😉

Well I'm 6ft 3" and I recently walked into one, ungated without having to stoop, the meter showed 12% oxygen after around 30 metres.
Soughs are always originally man sized, they weren't driven by children! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
End of topic, the pub beckons

Yes I know that but my findings around here are that they tailed them off in Culverts... av one for me! 😉

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Enjoyed the book thanks, hope you enjoyed the £20 note 😉

You bought two - one for Kev i s'pose?

You bought two - one for Kev i s'pose?

"No change". He could be an honorary Yorkshireman!

Surely its common sense...

In this H&S world, anyone with responsibility over the securing of "Dangerous" sites would want to ensure they remain secure to prevent incident leading to blame occuring.

When researching a site, a google of it results sometimes in certain forums with the maglite crew beating us to it... and some of the pictures uploaded are worrying, so no wonder the watchers at the CA fall off their perch and deploy to wagon with bricks and mortar. They do a mighty fine job in keeping little Johnny safe.

Sites of interest clearly should therefore be vaguely posted with no distinguishing marks so as to prevent undesirables from tipping up with their 20 Regals and pack of tea lights.

I jest, but have cringed on more than one occasion since being on this island.

Ive also had a visit from the CA at a site I first visited here. They restricted access in a very sensible way, preserving the nature within.

One day I undoutedly will be making my way out, only to find 10 tonnes of concrete blocking my exit... !
:stupid:

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gt5952

Did you manage to sort something out for Christmas?

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Hi rhychydwr,

Im trying to muster up some people without families etc for a BBQ after a little through trip of somewhere small like Dinas. When I was in the Army, Id do the same each year, usually in tonnes of snow over in Germany. Its great when theres family around, but for so many, its quite a depressing time of the year... I like to change that ;-)

So far I have 2 people travelling down...

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On their last visit to us in August, the Mines Rescue folk from Kellingley station were saying that they now are the Coal Authority agent for first response to potential coal related incidents (shafts collapsing, crown holes etc.) They are obliged to maitain a 24 hour service.
Also, they are systematically checking all the CA archive records to see what exactly exists at any given recorded location - often nothing visible.
Whilst they are probably not as thorough as we may be in looking for access, if an entrance is fairly obvious then it will be found and marked for treatment.
I believe this is happening nationally though not sure if Mines Rescue have all the contracts or not.

I believe the CA sub contract their capping and fencing service. To check each and every coal adit and shaft would be a mammoth task... Some nearly kill me just walking to them, let alone dragging 50 breeze blocks with me... There isnt enough money in the world to pay me for such things!

Im suprised we dont hear more about those who de cap workings becoming a statistic... or perhaps we dont hear because they are not found... hmm....

Interestingly enough, this isnt a problem unique to the UK.. There are a few German groups who document mines and bunkers etc (There are quite a few unterbunkers knocking around buried here and there) Several deaths have occured in closed mine workings around the Ruhr that got some decent publicity, most becoming overcome by gas,- But there is several full time response teams for such incidents (Grubenwehr) It seems the UK has volunteers or companies undertaking such tasks. Would be interesting to meet these folks.

On meeting people, it would also be nice to meet up with the CA some time and make an agreement, but in all liklihood the UK has too much red and pink tape for such things.

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One day I undoutedly will be making my way out, only to find 10 tonnes of concrete blocking my exit... !
:stupid:

Better not my good friend, better not!! :stupid: You're too valuble 😞

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Ah Lab Rat... Just smile and turn your lamp onto pilot.... I came across a 1980's can of special brew on Saturday along one of the seams... made me thing that perhaps a few meters more Id find some skeletal remains of a guy just ahead....

It would be a good opportunity for me to get a newer Oldham Lamp I guess! 😉

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Dear GT5982 good luck with any agreement.... there is little or no Nostalga with these people its just a Dangerous Hole in the ground, As I originally said they know generally what has been capped, treated etc and are methodically going thru areas site by site assessing if anything needs doing or if the area needs assessing fully. Its better than the previous stance of "if it collapses or gets reported, we'll sort it"

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