Coal Mines in Leeds

Post by **chameleon** » Wed 25 Jun, 2008 11:44 pm

The Parksider wrote: Chris D wrote: I bought one of the houses on the Silkstone Court/Silkstone Way estate in the early 1990s. I noticed a large concrete area on part of the development and the builder advised me that it was a capped off mine shaft – he assured me that the whole site had been “pump grouted” and there would be no problems with subsidence (and there weren’t). Does anyone know anything of the history of the mine there? I don't know of any major mine in that exact area.North there were the manston mines. The crossgates mine was the other side of the railway where the arndale is. mary pit was down at the other end of the estate opposite you. Up Hollyshaw lane you can see traces of Prince Arthur and up austhorpe lane west yorks pit.But there were odd isolated shafts all over. Down farm road there's a break in the houses and a fenced of bit of rough that was a shaft and no reason there may not have been one where you were. I have not seen any historical reference to it.They may have dug a shaft of some depth and simply found nowt, or it flooded out, or they abandoned it pretty quickly.The old beeston club land opposite the old white hart had mine shafts under that were due to be pumped with concrete to prevent subsidence. I have not seen any records of mines in that exact area either, but workings can go back before anyone ever bothered recording anything, and workings may have lasted only a few years if that. Silkstone Court is built on what was originally I believe.a site used as a hospital for war casualities, pre-fab concrete buildings laid in in wings off a long L-shaped corridor. Subequently it was used by the Institute of Geological Sciences until they relocated to Nottingham and then as temporary storage for another large Government Department, with the first, 'A' Wing, being used as the Royal Mail sorting office upto the redevelopment.From that history it goes back quite a long way and agreeing with Parksider, there are no shafts showing on any of my documents either, certainly I have no recolection of anything to suggest otherwise being vissible before your houses were built.

spudoil · Post by **spudoil** » Thu 26 Jun, 2008 4:33 am

The Parksider wrote: spudoil wrote: Re/ Gipton pit..Remember playing on the fields where Fearnville sports centre is now and the bed of an old railway track running all the way down to wyke beck. Don't like "correcting" people, but the Gipton pit at the bottom of the fairway had a tramway running off to Hovingham avenue behind the Fforde Grene where there was a depot to distribute the coal. I don't think it ran to Wyke Beck but nice to hear your memory of the track bed! Wonder what it was then? The track bed was biult on a high bank !

Post by **chameleon** » Thu 26 Jun, 2008 11:34 pm

spudoil wrote: The Parksider wrote: spudoil wrote: Re/ Gipton pit..Remember playing on the fields where Fearnville sports centre is now and the bed of an old railway track running all the way down to wyke beck. Don't like "correcting" people, but the Gipton pit at the bottom of the fairway had a tramway running off to Hovingham avenue behind the Fforde Grene where there was a depot to distribute the coal. I don't think it ran to Wyke Beck but nice to hear your memory of the track bed! Wonder what it was then? The track bed was biult on a high bank ! I lived just a little further up Oakwood Lane in the early 70's, I remember a footpath going down there but don't recall it being raised at all - do you remember anything else about it spudoil?

liits · Post by **liits** » Tue 01 Jul, 2008 10:49 pm

chameleon wrote: The Parksider wrote: Chris D wrote: I bought one of the houses on the Silkstone Court/Silkstone Way estate in the early 1990s. I noticed a large concrete area on part of the development and the builder advised me that it was a capped off mine shaft – he assured me that the whole site had been “pump grouted” and there would be no problems with subsidence (and there weren’t). Does anyone know anything of the history of the mine there? I don't know of any major mine in that exact area.North there were the manston mines. The crossgates mine was the other side of the railway where the arndale is. mary pit was down at the other end of the estate opposite you. Up Hollyshaw lane you can see traces of Prince Arthur and up austhorpe lane west yorks pit.But there were odd isolated shafts all over. Down farm road there's a break in the houses and a fenced of bit of rough that was a shaft and no reason there may not have been one where you were. I have not seen any historical reference to it.They may have dug a shaft of some depth and simply found nowt, or it flooded out, or they abandoned it pretty quickly.The old beeston club land opposite the old white hart had mine shafts under that were due to be pumped with concrete to prevent subsidence. I have not seen any records of mines in that exact area either, but workings can go back before anyone ever bothered recording anything, and workings may have lasted only a few years if that. Silkstone Court is built on what was originally I believe.a site used as a hospital for war casualities, pre-fab concrete buildings laid in in wings off a long L-shaped corridor. Subequently it was used by the Institute of Geological Sciences until they relocated to Nottingham and then as temporary storage for another large Government Department, with the first, 'A' Wing, being used as the Royal Mail sorting office upto the redevelopment.From that history it goes back quite a long way and agreeing with Parksider, there are no shafts showing on any of my documents either, certainly I have no recolection of anything to suggest otherwise being vissible before your houses were built. I'm not sure how true this is but..... I always knew the place as "the Geological", although the buildings in front of it was a Royal Mail sorting office. I was told that some of the moon rock that was given to the UK by the "Yanks" was brought here for investigtion / experimentation. Can anybody throw any light on this?

Chris D · Post by **Chris D** » Thu 03 Jul, 2008 6:38 pm

Another are that interests me is Brown Moor - the land adjacent to the site of the West Yorkshire Pit and now sadly being eaten away by the Thorpe Park Office development. I had heard that this area was open casted not that long ago (1960s?), and similarly the land to the North of the railway line adjacent to the Pendas Fields Housing Estate. Does anyone have any information on this?

Chris D · Post by **Chris D** » Fri 11 Jul, 2008 2:13 pm

Chris D wrote: Another are that interests me is Brown Moor - the land adjacent to the site of the West Yorkshire Pit and now sadly being eaten away by the Thorpe Park Office development. I had heard that this area was open casted not that long ago (1960s?), and similarly the land to the North of the railway line adjacent to the Pendas Fields Housing Estate. Does anyone have any information on this? Just realised this was largely answered in a thread in 2007... I'm new to this !

Post by **chameleon** » Sun 19 Apr, 2009 10:01 pm

The Parksider wrote: peterg wrote: In the late 40's there was an area off the Selby Road known as Three Wells Wood. I can't remember exactly where it was, but I assume the three shafts must have been related with a mine. Can anyone enlighten me on the matter? I got your last question wrong with the genius that is Chameleon answering more accurately, but I will have another stab!!Off Selby Road leaving Leeds is Barrowby Lane at the end is a wood that was the site of the west Yorkshire Colliery. When the colliery was sunk I don't think there were trees there - nothing is shown on the 1854 may. By 1893 the map shows a wood on the abandoned colliery. Brown Moor Colliery appears as a wood after abandonment.Strangely Prince Arthur pit has some tall mautre trees on the site today as does Mary Pit.How on earth pits became Woods in some cases i don't know???The 1854 map is interesting as it shows a railway running up church Lane manston to the colliery, and both West Yorkshire and Brown Moor had railways running the coal to main line.Miggy Railway wasn't the only colliery railway in Leeds - and of course Gipton pit had a railway and Busk pit in wortley rec has a railway - the track bed was still showing a few years ago..... I found the shaft head mentioned in the Woods off Barrowby Lane, this will be the West Yorkshire Colliery I think. The Brown Moor pit was further east and is now a private garden if I'm correct.Tha shaft has been filled - I presume - but the surface has settled. Being unsure of how it was closed, I wasn't about to jump down..... but I'll try to improve this on a better day!

Brandy · Post by **Brandy** » Mon 20 Apr, 2009 12:26 am

Did you not get tempted to have a little climb down Chameleon?? lol

Post by **chameleon** » Mon 20 Apr, 2009 6:59 pm

Brandy wrote: Did you not get tempted to have a little climb down Chameleon?? lol Well certainly not jump as I said, but on a better day I might negotiate the brambles, ivy, milk crates, prams dead ferrets and in the best possible Style de Phill hope there is something solid underneath to put my feet on. If on the other hand, I stop posting suddenly - send for Phill and his rope anyway

Brandy · Post by **Brandy** » Mon 20 Apr, 2009 7:04 pm

chameleon wrote: Brandy wrote: Did you not get tempted to have a little climb down Chameleon?? lol Well certainly not jump as I said, but on a better day I might negotiate the brambles, ivy, milk crates, prams dead ferrets and in the best possible Style de Phill hope there is something solid underneath to put my feet on. If on the other hand, I stop posting suddenly - send for Phill and his rope anyway Knowing phill you will probably bump into him on the way down lol