Interesting!!! I have several times seen what looks to be an adit entrance in the eastern side of Merrydale, looking across from below the Rose and Crown. At the time I thought it was something to do with water gathering, would you say it is a colliery then?

Interestingly somewhere up there is the huge tunnel from scamonden dam that they dug in the sixties.

In regards Bargate - as you walk down the fairly steep hill to Titanic Mill, there is a bridge above a weir on the river. If you look over the parapet towards the weir, on your immediate left and down - on the left riverbank there are the remains of some sort of collapsed brick structure. It seems to have two chambers/rooms and also an upright metal post. It caught my attention when I was a child and my mother always told me it was something to do with the dye works nearby. However I wonder if in reality it is perhaps a shaft?

hi
It is in the old geology books about mining at Merrydale. It is a few years since I went up last for a walk. When you get below the school and before the old cobbled road up to Pub on the left side (pub Side) there looks to be one or two areas of shale part way up the bank. I assume these are more, day holes, before 1850. I have not yet found any old records of mining and the Coal Board do not list them.
There has been mining up near the Nont Sarah pub in the days of yor! above the motor way. The Coal Board sank a shaft somewhere in the area and left soil up against a house but I have not found it.
The road up the South side of Hill Top Reservoir goes up past the pub and when it terns left the road continues as a track Called 'Coal Pit Lane'. This is on the Colne Valley Circular. I noticed when up there about 1998 that the ground was very black.
Down past the pub to West Slowit open cast mining was done above the old 'Hall' in mid 1900.

If you find anything can you let me know
roger

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Next time I am up there I will have a look around! Sadly I am not very mobile these days so it is mainly through maps and photographs that I do my exploring. Its a good excuse for a meal and a drink though!!! My best pal and I used to walk up to the R&C maybe three times a week when we were young. In the night up there after closing time, without street lamps and in the blowing wind or rain it is an eerie place!

There is also a road up at the very top called 'Old Ground' which always seemed quite evocative. The causeway that runs from New Hey Road also used to be called 'Coal Gate' I beleive - although I heard it was something to do with transporting Coal and Salt in the days of packhorse traders. Interestingly my mother's family, the Gledhills used to farm that entire area from 'Poorhouse Farm'. Sadly I can no longer ask her about any of it.

Hi we are all getting older.
Some off the old salt roads had black in them or blake.
I have a feeling the is coal nearby. There is a track down to the left just before you get to Coal Pit Lane and the first property on the left as you go down is another likely spot. On coal Pit Lane there is an old brick wall, never gone back to look at this.
Used to work with Richard Gledhill (fire man) from that area, he has retired to Fleetwood area.

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Hi, I grew up on Moorlands Road, Mount, Outlane. This road used to be called Coal Pit Lane until housing development came. On old ordnance survey maps (1850's) there is a water feature at the Lindley Moor end of the road, which corresponds today to the slight hollow there now. Could this have been a pit? If not: where could it have been?

Interesting!!!
In regards Bargate - as you walk down the fairly steep hill to Titanic Mill, there is a bridge above a weir on the river. If you look over the parapet towards the weir, on your immediate left and down - on the left riverbank there are the remains of some sort of collapsed brick structure. It seems to have two chambers/rooms and also an upright metal post. It caught my attention when I was a child and my mother always told me it was something to do with the dye works nearby. However I wonder if in reality it is perhaps a shaft?

I grew up in Wellhouse on the opposite side of the valley and walked over the bridge on my way to school every day in the late 60's/early 70's. Up the steps, over Manchester Road then straight up Hoyle Ing.
If my memory is correct your mother is right, the structure by the weir was the water intake for James Dyson's dyeworks at the bottom of Hoyle Ing

When you go through Outlane up to the Nonts you will notice at the side of the road small diggings what I thought was for stone. One of my neighbours who was born up there says it is where they dug for coal she can remember it.

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