SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

GuysDon't know if this is the right place? I've spent a while looking for information on old mines in morley, supposedly it's a rat run of tunnels underneath morley heading off from the old Pit head at the top of the miners steps where the shaft is capped off. Doesn anyone have any info or links?On another Note I need to get some pictures but there are some small bricked up tunnels in Morley bottoms near the lights that there are a few brick missing fromCheers

I am not very familiar with that coal mining in that part of Leeds but if you are sufficiently interested then your best source of information is the Mining Records office of the Coal Authorityhttp://www.coal.gov.uk/services/miningrecords/index.cfmThey have a complete set of abandoment plans for all UK collieries. These are record plans, which were drawn up on closure and recorded all known workings. Although the indexing system is a bit arcane with the help of the incredibly helpful staff there you quickly discover a wealth of information. For Joe Public a half day session in the records office is free ........ downside is it is just outside Burton on Trent (through a half day of research into Morley mining heritage followed by a second half studying Burton brewing heritage seems quite an attractive plan)Otherwise try tracking down a copy of the British Geological Survey's 6" solid geology sheet for the area (which will often mark up colliery shafts and adits with some useful geological information) ....... try Leeds University Library or root around http://www.old-maps.co.uk for old OS maps of the area which may pinpoint what was the function of the bricked up entries you have seen.For an almost definative list of mines of coal and other stratified minerals in Yorkshire see Mike Gills work [see original post here]:http://www.secretleeds.com/forum/Messag ... dID=856and finally, and not wishing to sound like my mum, if there are coal workings behind those walls please dont be tempted to explore unless you are an experienced mine explorer or have a sound knowledge of working in confined spaces. We have already lost a very experienced scottish mine explorer and caver in Scotland this year, who was over come by blackdamp in a forming working near Edinburgh http://www.vmine.net/namho/hazards%20warning1.pdfI

Just a word-to-the-wise about the Geological maps if anyone is thinking of buying them, I purchased a couple from the Institute of Geological Sciences when they were in Leeds back in late 70's for about 50 - 75p each. I recently tried to replace them..... and was quoted 80 quid a time!Seems the cost of printing History has risen a little.

grumpytramp wrote: I am not very familiar with that coal mining in that part of Leeds but if you are sufficiently interested then your best source of information is the Mining Records office of the Coal Authorityhttp://www.coal.gov.uk/services/miningrecords/index.cfmThey have a complete set of abandoment plans for all UK collieries. These are record plans, which were drawn up on closure and recorded all known workings. Although the indexing system is a bit arcane with the help of the incredibly helpful staff there you quickly discover a wealth of information. For Joe Public a half day session in the records office is free ........ downside is it is just outside Burton on Trent (through a half day of research into Morley mining heritage followed by a second half studying Burton brewing heritage seems quite an attractive plan)Otherwise try tracking down a copy of the British Geological Survey's 6" solid geology sheet for the area (which will often mark up colliery shafts and adits with some useful geological information) ....... try Leeds University Library or root around http://www.old-maps.co.uk for old OS maps of the area which may pinpoint what was the function of the bricked up entries you have seen.For an almost definative list of mines of coal and other stratified minerals in Yorkshire see Mike Gills work [see original post here]:http://www.secretleeds.com/forum/Messag ... dID=856and finally, and not wishing to sound like my mum, if there are coal workings behind those walls please dont be tempted to explore unless you are an experienced mine explorer or have a sound knowledge of working in confined spaces. We have already lost a very experienced scottish mine explorer and caver in Scotland this year, who was over come by blackdamp in a forming working near Edinburgh http://www.vmine.net/namho/hazards%20warning1.pdfI orrrrrrrrrrrrrr you could just ask phill d thers's nowt much about dark scary holey typey places that our phill doesn't know about!    

I had a wee poke about this morning on Old-Maps and note that there are coal pits shown in 1854 to the immediate north of Morley Bottoms on Pit Lane (presumably somewhere in the vicinity of the current Ingle Avenue)There appears to be a whole range of old pits shown to the west of Morley Bottoms between the M621 and Bruntcliffe Lane (in and around Dean Wood, Dean Hall and Gildersome Street). I presume this area is now been opencasted and buried under new developments. In 1894 there is a colliery situated on the eastern side of Asquith Avenue (B6126). The spoil heaps look as if was still there in the very top corner of this aerial photograph http://www.leodis.org/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL    

I used to live in Morley and I remember that just inbetween the Ingles and Springfields estates there was the site of an old pithead. If you didnt know it was there you would miss it, its directly opposite the Arkle or Springfield public house (thats if the pub is still even open / there!). The shaft was fenced off and probably capped although as kids we had heard rumours that a bloke and his dog had plummetted to their deaths down it...

grumpytramp wrote: I had a wee poke about this morning on Old-Maps and note that there are coal pits shown in 1854 to the immediate north of Morley Bottoms on Pit Lane (presumably somewhere in the vicinity of the current Ingle Avenue)There appears to be a whole range of old pits shown to the west of Morley Bottoms between the M621 and Bruntcliffe Lane (in and around Dean Wood, Dean Hall and Gildersome Street). I presume this area is now been opencasted and buried under new developments. In 1894 there is a colliery situated on the eastern side of Asquith Avenue (B6126). The spoil heaps look as if was still there in the very top corner of this aerial photograph http://www.leodis.org/display.aspx?reso ... SPLAY=FULL     Morley is riddled with old mine workings. There's also a capped shaft on Albert Road appropriately enough near the Miners Arms. The last pit was Horse Rig which was in the Howden Clough area. When I worked at Levertons (Cat dealer on Gelderd Road, Gildersome now Finnings) you could go behind the buildings and where excavation had taken place to level the ground you could see the coal seam and get the coal out with your hands. Across the road was open casted not that long since.