Day Hole Miggy Colliery

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jim
Posts: 1897
Joined: Sun 17 May, 2009 10:09 am

Post by jim »

Another question occurs. Where was Gosforth Pit?

jim
Posts: 1897
Joined: Sun 17 May, 2009 10:09 am

Post by jim »

The Parksider wrote: jim wrote: 1. Hi Grumpytramp. Thanks for your clear interpretation of the 1854 OS map - I couldn't make head or tail of it as it appears on my computer screen, and now the light shines forth!2. Do you think it likely, in view of the construction of the wagonway, in 1758, that perhaps your estimate of "the first decades of the 19th century" might stand pushing back to the mid-18th century? There must have been some considerable mining activity in the area to warrant the outlay in wagonway construction, and, in this case, an Act of Parliament. 1. He's good isn't he!2. I'm not sure what you mean here (dumb mode again). Miggy pits and waggonways abounded even before 1758, I am really gonna see if I can find that archeological survey today!!! Hi again Parksider. My thoughts surround the topography of the area. The 1758 wagonway makes use of the natural valley of the area, which heads up to the site of Dayhole End. Most of the earlier wagonways and trackways converge on the "crossroads site just south of the present Parkside Halt. If the 1758 wagonway proceeded beyond this point, there would be a reason for that, and the Dayhole End site is both a convenient place to start a drift to the coal under the Middleton plateau and an obvious terminus for the line.     

The Parksider
Posts: 1581
Joined: Sat 10 Nov, 2007 3:55 am

Post by The Parksider »

jim wrote: Hi again Parksider. My thoughts surround the topography of the area. The 1758 wagonway makes use of the natural valley of the area, which heads up to the site of Dayhole End. Most of the earlier wagonways and trackways converge on the "crossroads site just south of the present Parkside Halt. If the 1758 wagonway proceeded beyond this point, there would be a reason for that, and the Dayhole End site is both a convenient place to start a drift to the coal under the Middleton plateau and an obvious terminus for the line. Jim....The archeolgical survey says....."In 1755 a waggonway was constructed to a river staith at Thwaite Gate. This was in use until 1807 and served pits on the high ground to the EAST of the Broom area........."I am not sure about this but certainly the survey shows a "Well Pit" somewhere near Day Hole End which is south eastish?? so maybe the 1758 waggonway ran down to the end of the valley to take coal from this particular pit??The survey is now fully published on the internet....

The Parksider
Posts: 1581
Joined: Sat 10 Nov, 2007 3:55 am

Post by The Parksider »

jim wrote: Another question occurs. Where was Gosforth Pit? http://www.fomp.co.uk/downloads/survey/ ... art1.pdf17 pits are named in the Middleton area, and a few are marked un named......... No Gosforth Pit, but isn't that where Brandling came from....Still can't find mi miigy railway history book.....

The Parksider
Posts: 1581
Joined: Sat 10 Nov, 2007 3:55 am

Post by The Parksider »

jim wrote: Another question occurs. Where was Gosforth Pit? "It might be assumed that any shafts working after 1758 would have an identifiable relationship to the waggonway system. This is to some extent confirmed by surviving abandonment plans showing the Middleton Main and Little Coal Seams under the higher park and the plateau. These indicate that the coal was being worked off in blocks of ground or panels with a shaft at each corner. These were spaced every 200-300 yards."Might also indicate your right about their being coal drawn to the surface at the waggoinway end but maybe from vertical shafts.So the question (pull me up if I'm off beam) Why dig down when you can dig straight in??? Early pits working a top seam DHE inclining to a lower seam.Does that "seam" logical....

jim
Posts: 1897
Joined: Sun 17 May, 2009 10:09 am

Post by jim »

Once more unto the breach - but aren't we having fun, Parksider!I make the assumption that the archaeological survey you and Grumpytramp are talking about is "Coal mining in Middleton Park" by Martin Roe. In it on page 11 the 1755 waggonway is said to have served pits to the east of the PARK, which I take to refer to the Broom area itself. I believe that the route of this waggonway can be taken to be the old Belle Isle Road from the "crossroads" immediately south of the old lost Belle Isle village, passing through Sow Lane End, Woodhouse Hill, and the proceeding down Pepper Road, or,just possibly, but with no discernable trace on the maps I have available to me, along the course later used by the G.N.R. Hunslet East branch.Gosforth pit is, as Grumpytramp posted, referred to on page 12 of the survey, where the Dayhole Pit is described as "an inclined shaft ..... at an inclination of 1:40 ..... connected to Gosforth Pit. A slope of 1:40 would infer a walkable drift, and I feel Roe's term "inclined shaft to be a little misleading.Brandling certainly came from Gosforth House, Newcastle, and in the British tradition seen the world over presumably named his pit after it. This pit was presumably somewhere on the Middleton plateau on which the housing estate was built - but where?    

The Parksider
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Joined: Sat 10 Nov, 2007 3:55 am

Post by The Parksider »

jim wrote: A. I make the assumption that the archaeological survey you and Grumpytramp are talking about is "Coal mining in Middleton Park" B. waggonway is said to have served pits to the east of the PARK, which I take to refer to the Broom area itself. Gosforth pit is presumably somewhere on the Middleton plateau on which the housing estate was built - but where?     A. Yes I posted a link above if others want a look....B. Yes it said high ground east of the park, and the park AFAIK included the Broom area in those days - like Roundhay Park in modern times the Park area has shrunk.So the high ground east of the park seems to me to be the slope up to Middleton Road as it runs northwards past the junction with town street.Switching to the 1854 OS map which is about the best I can get my hands on easily, the southern extension of any wagonway extending down to Day Hole End is pointing directly at two "old coal pits" on the higher ground.I take it the first pit is "Well Pit" but there's a second one bit more south east which could easily be Gosforth pit. Back up Miggy Road towards New Hall is another pit.Significantly two of the three old pits are marked as more than a hole (as old bell pits are often marked) plus there's a brick field there as well.My money is on the second old pit above Well pit being Gosforth Pit. Goegraphia as late as 1920's shows the miggy railway terminate just south of the Broom pit, but trackways are shown extending all the way up to Middleton Road. Could be the remains of a roadway from both Gosforth and Well pit down to the old waggonway end where the coal would be loaded thus supporting your original theory (or have I lost this) that this small corner of the park included a lot of coal mining (and fireclay) activity before the Day Hole was ever sunk, driven (take your choice)Maybe I can go off on one and even suggest the waggonway could have transported hand made bricks? The area now I think is the new hall estate......

jim
Posts: 1897
Joined: Sun 17 May, 2009 10:09 am

Post by jim »

Having looked at the web link, I must have seemed confusing in my references, Parksider. My copy of this work is the published paperback version, and the pagination is different!I can see where our interpretation of land parcels differ. It all depends on whether one refers to the "Estate" or to the "Park",and precisely what we, and/or published authors, mean by the terms. For instance, I would conclude that FoMP, as leaders in this research, meant the present day park - but then, I'm often wrong.On the site of Gosforth Pit, I would agree with your conclusions, but would add other candidates, such as Venter Pit for instance.    

grumpytramp
Posts: 331
Joined: Mon 24 Sep, 2007 6:28 pm

Post by grumpytramp »

I would have addressed some of your questions and comments a little earlier but the council plough finally reached us this morning, so after six days trapped at chateau grumpy I risked life and limb on the roads and made a bolt for freedom (plus fresh bread, ale replenishments and a lovely sit down fish supper ........mmmmmm!)With regards the location of the Gosforth Pit, I have no idea of it's location though I think Parkie you are looking in the wrong direction. You will note in the 'Middleton Park Community Archaeological Project' documents that they refer to the tragic explosion of 12th January 1825 when 25 colliers were killed (though it is worth noting that 10 of the victims were under the age of 18 and the youngest John Ambler was only 7):http://www.dmm2.org.uk/uknames/u1825-01.htmThis I thought may provide a few clues and thanks to google I have found an account of the accident: The Gentleman's magazine, Volume 95, Part 1 - January to June 1825 wrote: Jan. 14. A most terrible explosion, of what is commonly denominated Firedamp (more fatal in its effects than any calamity that has ever occurred in that neighbourhood), took place in Gosforth pit, the property of Charles John Brandling, esq. M.P. at Middleton, three miles from Leeds; by which twenty-three men and boys were killed upon the spot, and seven (two of whom are since dead), severely injured. Gosforth pit, which is about eighty yards in depth, and of considerable extent, is entered by what is called a day-hole, which proceeds under a hill, on a level with the surface of the ground, for upwards of 1400 yards, to what is called the shaft, where the descent is, of course, directly perpendicular. The bottom of this passage communicates with the parts of the pit in which the principal excavations are going on by two principal roads, about four feet in width, running nearly parallel with each other. One, through the centre of the bed directly to the shaft; and the other at the North side and reaching the shaft by a right angle; the former being the direction in which the corves are, for the most part, drawn towards the shaft from the places in which the colliers are engaged in loosening the coal. Ten men, who were working on the West side of the shaft at a considerable distance from the spot on which the explosion took place, escaped unhurt; whilst the remainder, who were employed on the eastern side, were, with the exception of two men, all killed or severely injured. The excavations in this pit had been commenced at the extremity of the bed of coal, about three hundred yards eastward of the shaft; towards which the colliers had advanced nearly one-third of the way. Five men were working on an adjoining bed of coal, who had succeeded in digging their way further onwards than their companions; from whom they were separated by a wall of coal communicating by the principal passage with the old workings in which the catastrophe originated. A truly tragic tale which with the exception of the Morley Main disaster, must have been the largest mining disaster in Leeds ........ but it offers some clues!The distance from Day Hole to the Gosforth Pit shafts are stated as being 1400 yards. The shafts are said to be eighty yards deep. As the dip of the coal in the area is approximately 10 degrees a bit of simple trig suggests that the shaft will be located approximately 450yards from the outcrop of the Middleton Main. This must put the position of the Gosforth Pit somewhere to the North or North East of the Day Hole pit [NB if driven south from the Day Hole pit on the outcrop of the 40 yard coal and at 1:40 it could never intersect the Middleton Main or Little]With regards the tramway. It is my understanding that the original tramway extended from a landsale yard at Casson Close to shallow pits working the Middleton Main and Little Coals in the approximate area that Middleton Broom Colliery ultimately occupied and was constructed in and about 1758. The legendary rack and pillion locomotive hauled railway ran along this route from approx 1812 till 1835 when horse born haulage returned. The incline clearly visible running up from Day Hole End to the Venter (or Venture) Pit was constructed in 1827 as a self acting incline (ie loaded wagons secured by ropes hauled empties up the bank using an engine only as a brake). It was further extended to the Jane Pit (which I take to be the Middleton Colliery shown on the 1854 OS sheet to the west of the Venter Pit), Henretta Pit and Charles Pit in 1836. The furthest extent of the Middleton Colliery system was reached in 1851 when the line was extended by a southern branch that extended to the Bleachfield Engines (which were presumably shafts equipped with pumps)In conclusion the I would expect to find the Gosforth Pit very approximately 1400 yards (1280m) from Day Hole End and even more very approximately 450 yards (410m) from the outcrop of the Middleton Main. Looking at the 1854 OS plan with all its useful geological data I would expect to find the pit somewhere to the North East of the Day Hole End.I would also conclude that although the explosion report refers to winding corves up the shaft, the most likely purpose of the Day Hole Pit was to provide direct access to the primary transport route to coal staithes in the city via the Middleton Colliery railways    

jim
Posts: 1897
Joined: Sun 17 May, 2009 10:09 am

Post by jim »

Hi Grumpytramp. Great research and reasoning as ever. Might the workings described as New Hall Colliery/Pits on the 1854 OS fit that set of requirements?    

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