BADDERLEY EDGE
Wetley Moor, working circa 1850.
BALLBROOK COLLY
572 866 app.G.R.866572
Cat Ab. Mine Plans 1929
Parish: Biddulph
Coal: Winpenny, Bullhurst, Cockshead.
Ab. 30.09.1925.
7NW 1900. F 2,3. G 2.
BALL LANE
Cat Ab. Mine Plans 1929
Parish: Norton in the Moors.
Coal: Little Mine ab. June 1922.
12NW 1925. B 12. C 12. 12NE 1925. B 1. C 1.
BANKEY FIELDS
6830
Cat ab. Mine Plans 1929
Stoke-on-Trent, Ironstone Half Yards ab. Oct 1917.
11NE 1925. C 10. D 10,11.
BASSILOES
Confusion exists between the "Basiloes" and "Covry" or "New Recovery" pits in Apedale. Both were nineteenth century ironstone pits, the New recovery being sunk about 1850, presumably to replace the existing Bassiloes pits.
JJ remembered talking to an old lady, Mrs Rhodes, on several occasions. This lady, who was over 90 in 1976, had lived in one of the pit brow cottages adjacent to the pits and the railway all her life, but she could not remember the pits being called anything else than "The Covry".
However, the mix up can be explained by the fact that the Basiloes were reopened in January 1896. The Covry pits must have been abandoned leaving the two Basiloes pits working. Presumably, 'The Covry' name was then applied to the recovered shafts.
BASSILOW FARM
451 899 app.G.R.899451
Could be part of Fenton Park Colliery.
BATH, BATHPOOL OR HARECASTLE
527 837
1905 Geological Survey
Bath pit Birchenwood Colliery Man. Joel Settle OD 500'
Bee Coal 1' 9" at 121 yds 1ft 2 in
Little Coal 6"
Birchenwood Coal 5'3" at 203 yds 2 foot
Little row Coal 2'3" at 210 yds 1ft 3 in
A mineral railway line from Birchenwood ran along the eastern side of Bathpool to the Bath Pit. One loco worked the Nelson, Kidswood and Bath pits. The colliery was demolished and the shafts filled before the track was removed.
(A footrail near the Bathpool pit was reputedly 80 years old (1846), when it was worked in the general strike. This footrail worked a thin coal about one foot thick.)
Cat Ab. Mine Plans 1929
BATHPOOL; HARECASTLE
4142 Coal: Birchenwood; 10 foot. Ab . 23.09.1901.
(Len Maddocks' father worked at this pit, walked from Boon Hill.)
BENT
Cat Ab. Mine Plans 1929
Newchapel, Ironstone Brown Mine.
7SW 1925. E 1. F 1,2. G 1,2.
Robert Heath & Low Moor Ltd, Biddulph.
BENTILEE COLLIERY
(See Mossfield and Bentilee Colliery)
An old colliery working before 1850. 453 911 app.
Slater's Directory 1851. Bentilee Colliery Company, Nr. Bucknall. Joseph Hawley Agent.
Tramway to old shafts to the NE circa 1878.
Bentilee and Mossfield Collieries , Messrs Hawley and Bridgwood * *(See Anchor Colliery)
Cat Ab. Mine Plans 1929
Bentilee; Coal: Hardmine, Birches Moss, Bowling Alley, Banbury, Holly Lane, Cockshead and seam unnamed 1852 ' 1892.
18NW 1925.C 12. D 12. E 12. F 12. 18NE 1925. C 1,2. D 1,2. E 1,2. F 1,2.
Also Bentilee Colliery at 460 906, connected to Lawn Colliery Tramway?
1869 and 1880 Bentilee Hawley and Bridgwood.
1908 Bentilee footrail manager Edward Proctor 3 u/g, 2 a/g.
1918 Thomas Smith, Cobridge. Standing.
BENTILEE FOOTRAIL
Pre 1850?
BERRY HILL
459 891 app. G.R.891459
Simeon Shaw circa 1828 "The father of William Greatbach, a potter, ruined by bad debt, was a farmer at Berry Hill and supplied coals to the manufacturers at Fenton from Botteslow and Colamoor and amongst others to Mr Whieldon and Mr Daniel Bird, on the backs of horses. He received the money every journey, because fearful of the parties"
From the NSI MM Engs
- 1874/5 William Bowers, Berry Hill Stoke, elected 1872
- 1875 William Griffiths, Colliery Manager, Berry Hill Works, Stoke-on-Trent.
- 1891 William Bailes Colliery Manager, Berry Hill Collieries, Stoke-n-Trent.
Henry Warrington, 1838-1907, born Cheadle, left school in 1851 to work for William Bowers at Berry Hill and succeeded Bowers on his death in 1880. Warrington employed 1000 men, farmed 400 acres and lived at Fenton Manor House. He shot himself on the 2nd March 1907.
Circa 1900 Berry Hill Colliery. Deep, Hollybush, Railway and Rosehill Pits.
1905 Geological Survey.
- Top Pit Knowles - Coal 50 yards, Ash coal 160 yards, Moss 430 yards, Yard 529 yards, Birches 544 yards. (461 901 app.)
- Bush Pit - Great Row 11 yards.
- Railway Pit - Bassey Mine 82 yards, Peacock 98 yards, Spencroft 129 yards, Great Row 168 yards.
George Arthur Mitcheson 1863/9-1934, was the mining engineer at Berry Hill Collieries for some years.
The main colliery tip, (re-claimed by Stoke-on-Trent City Council) was started in 1926 and used until 1960. The colliery was closed by the NCB 1963/4.
Cat Ab. Mine Plans 1929
Berry Hill 3840 Spencroft March 1896 Peacock December 1892
Berry Hill Broadfield Knowles, Great Row, Ash, Deep Mine, Cannel Row, Peacock and Spencroft, ab. 1856-71.
Ironstone: Bassey Mine, Deep Mine 1861.
Berry Hill Bush, Old, Marl Hole. Coal/ironstone. Deep Mine 1872.
Folly 2931Peacock ab. March 1893.
Berry Hill Hollybush 34804 Coal Knowles ab. Sept 1900 (460,900 app.)
Berry Hill Quarry Coal and marl. Knowles ab. 1900.
18NW 1925. A 7,8. B 7,8,10,11. C 9,10,11. D 8,9,10,11. E 8,9,10,11,12. F 8,9,10,11.
Prior to 1900, Henry Warrington operated an iron works at Berry hill, but the forges closed circa 1900. A large brick works continued for many years. The reclamation scheme involved moving the tip to fill the marl hole.
Part of the site was opencasted 1946/48.
BIDDULPH HALL
599 889 app.G.R.889599
1853, Samuel Gosling worked at Biddulph Hall Colliery at the bottom of the Clough and North of Lee Forge, on land owned by Lord Camoys.
BIDDULPH MINING AND POTTERY CO.LTD
See GILLOW HEATH, see Falls Colliery.
1931 12u/g 2a/g, Coal: King, Fireclay and Clay.
BIDDULPH ROAD
8728
Cat Ab. Mine Plans 1929
Newchapel, Coal: 7' Banbury, ab. 10.01.1927.
7NW 1900 H 1.
BIDDULPH ROAD
9135
Cat Ab. Mine Plans 1929
Newchapel, Coal: Cockshead or 8' Banbury, ab. 30.12.1927.
7NW 1900. H 1.
BIDDULPH VALLEY
Coal & Ironstone
Circa 1900 Biddulph, (Brown Lees, Havelock, Holly Lane)
Robert Heath and Sons Ltd.
BLACKBIRD
4695 804 app.G.R.804469
Silverdale Collieries (which see)
BOURNE
Stafford Coal & Iron Co Ltd.
1896, Ironstone, STANDING.
BIGNALL HILL (Jamage Colliery)
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
516 826 app. G.R.826516
Jamage Colliery, the first pit, the Rookery was sunk by John Wedgwood of Bignall End in 1828 (Wedgwood Colliery Co.) After 1838 became the property of the Wood family.
Slaters Directory of the Midlands 1850 Wood Price, Bignall Hill.
1862 Nicholas Price Wood, Bignall End.
Jammage colliery was opened in 1875 and was the first of the Bignall Hill collieries.
Enoch Gater being the first manager. It was owned by the representatives of the late John Wedgwood, N.P. Wood the managing partner.
N.S.I.M.M.Eng's Reginald Wood, Bignall Hill, Stoke-on-Trent, elected 1874. ( Known locally as "Rijy" but not to his face. )
1885 36 regenerative coke ovens by Simon Carves, (the second such plant installed in the country). 24' long, 7'6" high and 19 1/2' wide, 48 Hours per charge of 3 tons. These ovens required round the clock shift working as opposed to bee-hive ovens which could be run by day work.
In 1896, Bignall Hill Colliery (Jamage) was owned by the representatives of the late John Wedgwood. Manager Enoch Gater, Under Manager William Bennett, underground 174 men, above ground 119 men. The coals worked were the 7 and 8 feet Banbury's and the Bullhurst. (All good coking coals.) The high number of men employed above ground was probably a result of the coking plant.
Joel Settle managed the coke plant and in 1902, he installed a coal washing plant at the colliery. The plant was then known as the Jamage Washer and Coke Ovens. Settle obtained control of the coking plant and by 1911, Settle Speakman were working the washer and coke ovens. Settle contracted to buy the whole of the colliery output for the coking plant. At this time the collieries employed about 900 men and produced 1400 tons a day.
In 1918, Settle Speakman took over the whole of the share capital of Bignall Hill Colliery Co. In 1923, there were still 36 Simon Carves ovens managed by Amos Daniels. They were then 39 years old and must have been reaching the end of their useful life. Jamage Main closed in 1925 and the coking plant probably closed about this time. No new ovens were built. Jamage closed in 1941 and Rookery in 1947.
11NE 1925. F 1,2. G 1,2. 11NW 1900. F 12. G 12.
11NE 1925.
D 3. E 2,3. F 1,2. G 1,2. H 2.
JAMAGE MAIN. Sunk about 1910 and closed 1925 the last sinking of Bignall Hill collieries.
JAMAGE FOOTRAILS Colliery owned footrails, Numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
ROOKERY Bignall Hill Colliery SJ 517 816 APPG.R.816517
Sunk in 1828 by John Wedgewood as his answer to the Diglake.
Sinkings. The colliery worked the ten foot coal, but was abandoned around 1854 when the Diglake closed. When the Diglake pumps ceased, the Rookery was drowned out. When the second Diglake Colliery was recovered from the inundation of 1896, Reginald Newcombe Wood realised that the Rookery Colliery was again dry. As a result, the old narrow shafts were filled with pit dirt and re-sunk as wider, deeper, shafts. This was by Diglake men who had lost confidence in the Diglake management. The colliery was reopened about 1898 and the 7 and 8 foot Banburys and the Bullhurst were worked.
The Rookery was sold to Settle Speakman with Bignall Hill Collieries.
Settle Speakman installed a steam main from Jamage Colliery boilers and all
the engines at the Rookery were supplied by Jamage.
Steam raising plant was kept for emergencies at the Rookery.
Managers (i.) R R Makepiece
(ii.) Amos Daniels
(iii.) John Cowcill
The Rookery shafts were very narrow even when re-sunk and the cages were small. It was only possible to carry a stretcher in a cage only by putting it diagonally from bottom to top corner. ( Len Maddocks. )
Possibly as a result of the war, the Rookery Colliery survived until 1947 and nationalisation, being closed by the NCB and the men transferred to other collieries.
1905 Geol. Survey
Rookery Pits Jamage Colliery Manager R. R. Makepiece
OD 550ft 780ft to the 8' Banbury 788ft in all.
BIRCHENWOOD
Click to enlarge
See notes on Kidsgrove.
Some old collieries on the site.
Valentine Pit The original Brieryfield pits. 8425 543.G.R.842543
Nelson Colliery 8395 535G.R.839535
Kidsgrove Pit 8395 542G.R.839542
Colly 8565 8435 NE of Park farm, tramway to main site.
Colly 8585 535 Apparently abandoned by 1873/5 OS.
Colly 856 5335 Engine pools, rear Colclough Farm, abandoned by 1873/5 OS.
Head O' Th' Lane 8495 5365
Colly 854 5395 Oldcote, engine pool, apparently abandoned by 1873/5 OS.
Colly 8495 5395 Apparently abaondoned by 1873/5 OS.
Colly 849 5415
Speedwell Colly 8445 542
>White Hill 8505 5485 Old shafts to the NW of the Whitehill farm.
Brown Mine
BUNKERS HILL
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
8245 5385 "The Nibble Pits"
(N.B. Bunker's Hill was the first encounter of the American War of Independence, 17 June 1775.)
The area was probably first worked to supply the Cheshire salt pans. The earliest workings were those adjacent to Coppice Road. They were drained by a gutter driven up the valley between the road and Swallowmoore Wood. (The contours of this area were changed when the site was reclaimed, part of the valley being filled.)
The last Bunkers Hill colliery was sunk by William Rigby and Co in 1853/4. No cages were used, the tubs were fitted with eye bolts on each corner and slung on chains. Prior to the Audley branch of the NSR, the coal was jigged down to the Trent and Mersey Canal by a rope hauled tubway or tramway. The terminus was a wharf and weighbridge at Townfield Lock on the canal. Eventually, there were four shafts on the site. A connection was made to the Audley branch of the NSR at Meerlake Junction in 1870.
In 1875 there was a serious explosion at the Colliery, killing 42 men and boys. At this time, George Sumner was the Manager and his son was badly injured in the explosion.
By 1896, the colliery was still owned by William Rigby and Co, the manager was James Maddock and the Under-Manager George Wainright. Under ground, 290 were employed and 90 above ground. Coals worked were the 7' and 8' Banburys and the Bullhurst.
Cat Ab. Mine Plans 1929
Bunkers Hill
6047 7' & 8' Banbury Bullhurst ab. 29.03.1913
6483 10' ab. 09.1915
6892 10' ab. 30.03.1919
9240 10' Top two Row ab. 02.1927
No3 7473 10' ab. 06.1922
6SE 1926. E 2,3,4. F 1,2,3,4. G 1,2,3,4. H 1,2,3,4. 11NE 1925. A 3.
The site was reclaimed by Staffordshire County Council from June to August 1972 and developed as a housing estate by Kelly Homes and Kidsgrove/Newcastle Council.
BELLS MILL
One of the Shelton pits.
Cat Ab. Mine Plans 1929. Bassey Mine abandoned 1861.
BIRCHHOUSE
Ironstone 501 832 app. (See Apedale Stanier)
On the west side of Crackley bank, to the west of New Hem Heath Colliery, south of Birchhouse Farm with a brick and tile works to the north. Connected by rail to the Apedale Company. Now part of Crackley Housing Estate. (Birchhouse Road.)
The Post Office Directories of 1860 and 1872 list under Chesterton, William Gray, farmer, Birchhouse Farm.
The colliery was sunk circa 1870 by Francis Stanier & Co during the North Staffordshire iron boom years. The pits were always known locally as 'Bottom Crackley'. Two shafts, details in Danks Valuation.
Cat Ab. Mine Plans 1929 lists: BIRCHHOUSE 2237
Blackband; Red Shagg; Red Mine. Ad. October 1888.
11NE 1925. G 5. H 4,5,6. 11SE 1926. A 4,5.
So it would appear that the colliery was abandoned at the end of Stanier's lease and not worked by the Midland Coal Coke & Iron Co Ltd.
BOYLES HALL Co
(See Audley section) SJ 508 804 (506 809)
The Boyles Hall Colliery was probably first sunk in the area 508 803. Where dirt tips and engine pools are shown and the pit drained by a gutter to Townfields.
Boyles Hall Farm is situated at SJ 506 803. At the close of the eighteenth century the farm was tenanted by Samuel Burgess, who also worked the colliery. By about 1814 a partnership between Burgess and Thomas Madew was working the colliery.
However, the slump at the end of the war bankrupted the partners and the colliery was taken over by the landowner Thomas Fletcher Boughey in 1816. He appointed a manager, Robert Rigby. Rigby drove a new gutter and sunk new pits, approx. 506 808. Sir T F Boughey died in 1823 and sometime after Robert Rigby leased the colliery, he worked it until about 1850. (The Old Diglake closed 1854.)
Rigby's pits were:
Boyles Hall No1. Adjacent to NSR railway line, on the corner of the dirt ruck, screens by railway.
Boyles Hall No2 'Derby' shaft with chimney on the rise side up towards Boon Hill Cricket Club.
Boyles Hall (?) Supposedly covered with an iron plate in the railway cutting. (It seems doubtful that the railway company would allow this!) The railway was, of course, not built in Robert Rigby's lease.
Rigby's still held the colliery in 1896 it was held by William Rigby & Co and standing, but later in that year it was reopened and had a connection with Rigby's Diglake Colliery. This was fortunate as it was the escape route taken by those who survived the Diglake inundation of 1896.
BRADLEY GREEN
There would appear to have been several collieries in this area. That leaving the largest dirt tips is near to Woodside Farm at 574 877.
In 1838, Messrs Leigh and Bradbury were working the NEW PITS also known locally as Bradbury's.
In 1851, Bradley Green Colliery was still owned by John Bradbury. The colliery
was later acquired by Robert Heath circa 1880, at which time the average weekly
output was about 650 tons. The colliery was abandoned about 1884. All the seams
between the Winpenny and the Bowling Alley were worked out.
The two deepest shafts were the Baldur at 250 yds and the Rover at 265 yds, presumably
the downcast.
Bradley Green, John Bradbury 1880.
The Geological Survey of 1905 states that the Bradley Green Colliery was
owned by the Biddulph Valley Coal and Ironworks (Heath's). The Manager - Mr Bradbury.
(John Bradbury's son?)
No3 shaft The Bowling Alley coal at 90yds
No5 shaft The Newpool at 237yds
No6 shaft The Bowling Alley at 90yds
Also:
The Bradley Green Colliery was a little more than half a mile north east of the
Tower Hill shaft, being about one and a quarter miles north east of the Biddulph
engine pit.
All the mines from the Sparrow Butts upwards have been worked out. The Bullhurst
here is too full of sulphur for iron making. The Winpenny has never been got and
is too thin to work at a profit.
The 6' OS of 1891 shows a working colliery engine pool, buildings etc, connected to the Biddulph Valley railway line.
Also, a colliery with no rail connection, possibly abandoned at 576 878. (577 881 air shafts and coal shaft.)
The NSIMM Engs.
JJ Horsfall Bradley Green Colliery Congleton elected 1872.
Mr James Philip Bentley Anley Mining Engineer Bradley Green nr. Congleton 1891.
Cat Ab Mine Plans 1929
Bradley Green 3584
Biddulph Coal Rough 7', Magpie, Holly Lane, Hardmine, Froggery or 7' Banbury, Newpool or 8' Banbury. Ab. August 1894.
Bradley Green
Biddulph Coal, Bowling Alley, Newpool (1874), Bullhurst, Holly Lane, Magpie (1867),
7' Banbury (1865).
C R Hall & Co. Moody St Colliery, Biddulph.
Bradley Green
Biddulph Coal, Winpenny, Froggery, Holly Lane, Bullhurst.
Ab. 1882. Robert Heath & Lowmoor.
Bradley Green No's 5,6,7,8,9,10,11.
Biddulph Coal; Iron mine 1869, Froggery 1882, Newport 1870, Bullhurst 1875, Hardmine 1872, Winpenny 1880, Muck Row 1875, Bowling Alley 1870, Magpie 1880, Holly Lane 1882, Little 1875, Biddulph Mining & Pottery Co, Biddulph.
7NW 1900. E 4,5,6. F 3,4,5,6. G 3,4,5.
BRADLEY GREEN
NUMBERS 5,6,7,8,9,10,11.
7NW 1900. D 4,5. E 4,5. F 3,4,5. G 3,4,5.
ROADFIELD COLLIERY
(FENTON)
Very old collieries, at least two working in the 1750's, when James Brindley equipped them with engines.
(i.) Owned by Miss Clare Maria Broade at Fenton Vivian.
(ii.) Owned by Mr Thomas Broade.
1756 Coalbrookdale ledgers. Mr Broade of Fenton (Little Fenton) Stoke-on-Trent 60'Cylinder and 10 foot Stroke, superintended by James Brindley.
Simeon Shaw writing circa 1829,
'Almost close to this (Fenton Park Colliery) is Broadfield Colliery also extremely valuable for the extent and depth of strata of its several mines.'
Slater's Directory 1851.
Broadfield Colliery Co. Fenton. George Knox, Agent.
White's Directory of 1851 lists, Broadfield Colliery Fenton George Knox Agent.
This Colliery is shown on the original 1' OS map near the Fenton Park Colliery Tramway.
Index to the Tithe Survey 1837.
Shown at 451 894 app.
BROADFIELD COLLIERY
(GOLDENHILL nr Tunstall) SEE STARVATION PITS )
Reputedly a boat level from the Great Row workings at Broadfield Colliery to the canal tunnel. Worked by 'Starvationers'. (See Starvation Pits.)
1896 Broadfield Colliery, Golden Hill. S. Sambrook, Wolstanton, Newcastle. Manager S. Sambrook. Underground 9 men. Aboveground 2 men. Coal and Ironstone. Peacock and Basseymine.
1905 Geological Survey. To the west of Goldenhill the coal ( Bassey Mine) is
Cat Ab. Mine Plans 1929
4259 Ironstone, Bassey Mine, abandoned 20.10.1901.
4475 Coal: Peacock Ironstone, Bassey Mine, abandoned August 1903.
6829 Ironstone, Bassey Mine, abandoned November 1917.
8367 Coal and ironstone, Red Shagg, abandoned 14.10.1925.
6050 Coal and ironstone, Spencroft, Rowhurst, Winghay, Great Row, Little Row, Red Mine Bass, Chalkey Mine, abandoned 15.02.1913.
11NE 1925. A 9,10. B 7,8,9. C 7,8,9. D 8.
BOOTHSWOOD CONSALL
Frederick Crossley, Consall, standing 1908.
BROOKHOUSE COLLIERY
467 901 app.
Worked circa 1840 - 1880.
Shown working on an O/S dated 1878, but disused on one of 1900. Owned in 1881 by the Chatterley Iron Co Ltd, which was dissolved in 1896. Brookhouse became part of Chatterley Whitfield Collieries Ltd.
There were tramways, one to old Mossfield and one to Botteslow Colliery and Botteslow Wharf. These were later combined into the Ubberley tramway from Lawn Colliery to a wharf at Botteslow on Leek New Road. The tramway was converted to a railway with locomotives, probably by the Chatterley Company.
Brookhouse was perhaps owned by C J Homer before he joined the Chatterley Iron Company.
BROOKHOUSES COLLIERY
Cheadle, closed by 1874
BROOKHOUSE LANE
J H Parker & Co, Eaves Lane Bucknall u/g 2.
BROWNFIELD COLLIERY
456 919 app. ( Near Adderley Green.. )
White's Directory 1851. Harpe and wain Coalmasters, Brownfield Colliery.
Cat Ab Mine Plans 1929
Brownfields 5320 Stoke-on-Trent, Coal: Bowling Alley, Little Mine, Holly Lane, Bambury, Sparrow Butts or Hardmine, Cockshead, Stinkers or Newmine, Winpenny, ab. Feb 1882.
18NE 1925. C 2,3. D 2,3.
This was presumably the colliery of Messrs Harpe & Wain.
Brownfields 7663 Stoke-on-Trent Coal: Hardmine, Newmine, ab.25.03.1923.
1931, William Bartlam, Brownfields, Bentilee, Longton, S-o-T. Brownfields footrail near Longton, Staffs, 18 u/g and 8 a/g.
BRINDLEY FORD
Cat Ab Mine Plans 1929, Newchapel, coal: Little row, Rough 7', ab. December1886.
7SW 1925. D 4,5. E 4,5.
BROOKHOUSE COLLIERY
(STANLEY FIELDS?) 542 883 app.
Rail connection to Robert Heath's works.
1869 F E Platt.