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philfred

mine shafts replied on: 7/25/2006 3:28:44 PM I am working nights and caught up with this one. I have had a look on old maps and there is an old coal pit marked on the map at what is possibly the end of Ashforth Avenue. This was probably a bell-pit as it would unlikely that a new shaft would be sunk by the New Langley Colliery. The only reason for the shaft to be sunk by the New Langley Colliery would be for ventilation purposes. Other likely candidates to have sunk a shaft couldd have been either New Heanor or Marlpool Colliery. It was common practice to sink a new shaft if the underground roadways had deteriorated badly (cost of shaft sinking is less than cost of repairing the roadway). A History of Mining in the Heanor Area, page 25 fig 5 shows the location of Marpool Mine, Mine title from map. This indicates it was active in working coal. From the above publication, "Marlpool Colliery [my comment,indicates vertical shaft(s)] (Gould and Checkland) is shown on a plan dated 1853. The shafts were sunk to the Waterloo seam. There were workings in the Top Hard and Coombe seams and headings in the Waterloo seam. The date of the last working was 1863". The Waterloo coal was not the best available but was easy to work with a thickness of around 3ft 6ins/ 1 meter. The depth of the Waterloo Seam possibly around 80 yards/metersAt the time Marpool Colliery was active it was common practice to sink a single shaft and divide it vertically. This would allow fresh air to drawn in and stale air to be drawn out. Comments from the publication's authors and researchers could put a lot more flesh on the above bones. I hope the above quotes and comments are of use. regards Phil

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