Hi to everyone interested in holes in the ground between Huddersfield and Wakefield.

Thanks to the help of AN members, the big map has grown considerably over the past week or so.

It now goes as far south as just below Emley Moor and as far north as the southern limits of Ossett.

http://www.aditnow.co.uk/documents/Personal-Album-8946/THE-BIG-MAP-11-03-2012-copy.pdf 

There are still quite a few uncertainties - there are 2 Netherton collieries in the east - and I don't know which is the oldest - I'm missing a few mine locations around Kirkheaton, a colliery at Dogley Bar (south of Fenay Bridge - there is an air shaft to the east of the railway around there) and whether Highgate Lane Colliery (Pit) was really called that and not something else.

If anyone can help clear up the discrepancies or add even more new locations, the info is more than welcome.

The new version is at 96 dpi to keep it manageable over the web, but, if anyone needs a larger scale, just let me know and I'll post sections up to 200 dpi.

The next step is to complete the southern strip to take in the tramways from Haigh Colliery (far SE corner) to the railway station and from Nineclogs (S of Emley Moor) to the Clayton West railway and then to start on the northern strips to get the mines around Bradley, Ossett, Mirfield on to the map.

Cheers - and have as much fun browsing the map as I'm having making it,
D.

Fantastic,keep up the good work.
A map of God's own county

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Hi Yorkshireman, more great work, thanks.

Could I ask you to double check the pit you have as "Woodsome No 2" at Little Lepton. I was born in the early 50's & can remember this pit working. I think it should be Victoria No 2&4 and also Victoria No 5, (it's confusing due to the number of "Victoria's"). These drifts were worked by Lepton Coal & Clay up until 1958-9 possibly 1960. Material was drawn out in tubs using an endless haulage rope. The men entered the workings by a curious arrangement of concrete steps & landings, halfway up the farmers field, towards Green Balk Lane. There was a disused air shaft/fan house in the field corner, right next to the lane. The fan itself had gone but the brick fan house & sheet metal housing were still in situ.
About 50yds to the left of the material drift was a new working (No 5?) This trial drift came to nothing & was abandoned C1960. Had it proved viable it was to have been named "Prince Andrew". It was the last drift to be driven in the Lepton area.
Hope further research & cross checking will show this to be the case, thanks again...

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Hi Yorkshireman, more great work, thanks.

Could I ask you to double check the pit you have as "Woodsome No 2" at Little Lepton. I was born in the early 50's & can remember this pit working. I think it should be Victoria No 2&4 and also Victoria No 5, (it's confusing due to the number of "Victoria's"). These drifts were worked by Lepton Coal & Clay up until 1958-9 possibly 1960. Material was drawn out in tubs using an endless haulage rope. The men entered the workings by a curious arrangement of concrete steps & landings, halfway up the farmers field, towards Green Balk Lane. There was a disused air shaft/fan house in the field corner, right next to the lane. The fan itself had gone but the brick fan house & sheet metal housing were still in situ.
About 50yds to the left of the material drift was a new working (No 5?) This trial drift came to nothing & was abandoned C1960. Had it proved viable it was to have been named "Prince Andrew". It was the last drift to be driven in the Lepton area.
Hope further research & cross checking will show this to be the case, thanks again...

Hi,

I already had it labelled as Victoria, but found it as Woodsome No. 2 on a different map - it's no problem to change it back, so thanks for the new details. I think there are actually more Victorias than there are Lane Ends.

I'm also trying to find the location of Waterloo Colliery to the West of Kirkheaton - the only thing I found so far is a drfit in a field to the SW of Low Hall Colliery (Lascelles Hall) - anyone know if this was part of it? I've searched all along Waterloo Road on both sides from 1854 to the present, but can't find anything that even looks remotely like a colliery - and no tell-tale signs like gasworks or brickworks either. The best bet appears to be around Waterloo Bridge.

Cheers
D.

Hi, my info on this thread relies mostly on recollections, happily my memory's very good but not infallable. What's annoying is my Dad worked at this pit, before joining the Army in WWII but he only ever referred to it as "Billy Swift's day 'ole"
I am sure though, about the details of "Prince Andrew" drift. In the early seventies I was working on a development team at Park Mill Colliery & moved to live in Grange Moor. I got to know an old chap who lived opposite who was an old school mining man & had worked as a deputy at Swift's, up until closure. He also told me about a further access for this mine located in the valley bottom, that runs from the Cockermouth area of Flockton Moor & carries Beldon brook down towards Lepton Great wood. I went looking for this & found it, a small brick lined drift full to within a foot of the roof with water.
Hope this helps...

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