Waterloo Collieries

[The Parksider]

grumpytramp wrote: chameleon wrote: On the otherhand, I know a couple of chaps who'll put you right ....Call to arms, Parky & Grumpy Jinx, I disapear back and forth to the Shetlands for a few weeks to earn an honest crust; to return to find Secret Leeds going a tad mad ............ thank goodness for a bit colliery talk! Nice to have you back, check out the coal mining in east leeds for more deliberations on foundry mill, your golden thoughts appreciated?Also wonder if you'll elaborate on how ironstone and fireclay occur in the mines?? I understand fireclay is not clay like but a solid seam? and was crushed and wetted into clay for brick making. I aso do not understand how some brickworks seem to have almost quarried fireclay from near the surface - the works often have a kind of earthwork behind them??Your expertise appreciated!

[The Parksider]

big_rob2004 wrote: Not sure if this is in the right bit but Can anyone lend me a hand and send over some information regarding the whereabouts of the three collieries, when they closed and any useful links/maps. Today passing the sewage works from the A1 - M1 link half way past there's a short tarmac bit to a wooden gate. Through the gate is the trackbed of the colliery railway to Park pit.From the Bridgefield (now demolished fully) down and onto halton moor road you can see how the old "pink" path was made of fireclay waste which will have come from the mines.When you get to the end of the path near the bottom of osmondthorpe Lane there are two large industrial units across the road. between them is the track bed of the neville Hill - Bride pit railway.that gap between the units is a security problem, but clearly the land belongs to someone else as it will have been compulsory purchasd to lay the railway on. Silly that it stands unused nearly a hundred years on........

[Leodian]

As a kid in the early to mid 1950's I used to go and play around Templenewsam Pit (also known as Waterloo Main, I think). I remember that the road to the pit in the Templenewsam grounds had conker trees that always had masses of conkers each year. I also recall seeing miners with their lamps and helmets going to work on trams and coming back covered in coal dust.

[somme1916]

Some good info for "beast" here to refer to........also other links available,as stated,on SL

[Jogon]

If mining stuff / heritage rings your bell, this looks interesting, on Amazon about £12 inc p&phttp://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Miners-Hymns-Bill- ... ...Created from archive and newly-shot film footage, The Miners Hymns celebrates the sense of vibrant community, rich, self-organised culture and the forbearance that characterised the lives of those who worked underground, and the places in which they lived. Accompanying Morrison s filmic collage, Jóhannsson s newly composed modern classical score draws upon the region s brass music culture: image and sound combine to create a rich homage to Britain s coal mining heritage.."    

[grumpytramp]

Jogon wrote: If mining stuff / heritage rings your bell, this looks interesting, on Amazon about £12 inc p&p Slightly off the topic but I can really realy recommend The Miners HymnsIt is not however a documentary; its a musical polemic setting some really stirring brass band music to archive footage from the Durham Coalfield culminating with the Big MeetingFor a taster try:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_Rfkhg7s_MThe title of each segment of the film is taken from a Lodge banner, hence the wonderfully titled "The Cause of Labour is the Hope of the World"

[Brunel]

[BigSteveF]

I remember as a lad been walked from Crossgates up the hill to Whikirk Church then down through Colton village and on through the woods to the Waterloo Colliery. (My dad worked there at the time) I was young so do not remember much about the buildings but do remember feeding titbits to some of the pit ponies in the surface stables. My dad had a 40 year career in mining from the "dayoil" down Manston Lane to Waterloo, Allerton, Rothwell and other mines retiring from mining in 1985 from Ledston Luck, as you can imagine he is a wealth of information on the South East Leeds mines. Will have to persuade him to partake some of his tales and history to you lot.

[Croggy1]

Please do, Steve.