Harworth Colliery
Encyclopedia
Harworth Colliery is a mothballed coal mine in the Bassetlaw
area of north Nottinghamshire
. It has recently been abandoned due to troubles at the seam. UK Coal
, who own and maintain the mine, are waiting for a contract to make it worth investing money to open up a new seam.
Bassetlaw
has at the moment no working pits; the nearest is Maltby Main Colliery
in South Yorkshire
.
The mothballing of the pit brings an end to 86 years of mining in Bassetlaw.
equipment and men, but with the start of the First World War (1914-1918) the German workers were interned and the company's assets were impounded by the Government, and so construction was halted.
Later in 1917 the pit was bought by Messrs. Barber, Walker & Co. for £80,100, becoming full owners in 1921 after the war repayments scheme. The sinking of the shafts was started with preliminary works in 1919, but the first real sinking started in 1921. Water problems were encountered but this was overcome with the solidification of the ground with liquid cement grout
. On the 29 October 1923 the shaft sinkers eventually reached the Barnsley coal seam at 848 metres (2,782.2 ft) although there were problems with underground faults. The second shaft also reached the Barnsley seam on 15 November 1923.
In 1924 the colliery was connected with a 4.2 km railway line to connect with the LNER-owned East coast main line
. The ECML
became very congested and a connection the South Yorkshire Joint Railway
was considered, also linking the new Firbeck Colliery (sinking started in 1923) near Carlton in Lindrick
. A triangle junction would lead to another triangle junction near Sturrup with lines going to Harworth and another going through Oldcotes
and Langold
to reach Firbeck. The forecast for Harworth was 5000 tons per day; this would have meant more congestion, so the opportunity was taken by the new owners on the SYJR (LNER and the LMS
) to build the line to connect both collieries. This was completed in 1928.
There were also several Coke ovens at Harworth, and like Maltby Main Colliery
it was decided to modernise the pit in the 1950s. Rebuilding with the concrete headgears began in the late 1950s.
These structures were replaced with the current headgears in 1989 (No 1 Shaft) and 1996 (No2 Shaft). Shortly after the No1 Headgears were built the new surface main mine fan was also commissioned to efficiently ventilate the workings.
locomotive, one of the most famous steam engines in the world (now owned by the National Railway Museum
) was burning Harworth coal when it covered the 392 miles from London to Edinburgh in a record seven hours and 27 minutes in 1932.
With the decline of steam power in the late 1960s and coal being used less for gas and heating the coal began to be used for producing power. Power stations like Drax and Cottam
used Harworth coal, this being transported by the SYJR. Other lower seams included the Parkgate seam.
The pit's closure was considered in November 2002 when owners UK Coal warned the 400 workers the pit was in trouble unless yearly losses of £8 million could be reversed. Three years later, to save the pit, the only possible solution for the 450 workers was to invest £50 million to access a new seam. If that was to happen the pit would have up to 25 more years worth of coal.
Profits at UK Coal increased nearly fourfold in one year as the company benefited from property sales, higher coal prices and smoother mining operations.
UK Coal, which operates four deep collieries and several surface mines, reported that pre-tax profits had jumped by 292% to £69 million in the year 2007.
On 21 April 2008, UK Coal said it was to consider plans to reopen Harworth colliery, and also investing £100m to extend the lives of the Thoresby Colliery in Nottinghamshire and Kellingley Colliery
in Yorkshire.
Work has recently started underground at Harworth colliery to make good several kilometres of roadway and infrastructure to enable access to the millions of tonnes of coal that remain to be mined. Also a team of experts have been assembled at the groups HQ who have been tasked with planning the methods of accessing the remaining coal.
Bassetlaw
Bassetlaw is the northernmost district of Nottinghamshire, England, with a population according to the 2001 UK census of 107,713. The borough is predominantly rural, with two towns: Worksop, site of the borough offices, and Retford...
area of north Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
. It has recently been abandoned due to troubles at the seam. UK Coal
UK Coal
UK Coal plc is the largest coal mining business in the United Kingdom. The Company is based in Harworth, in Nottinghamshire. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a former constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
, who own and maintain the mine, are waiting for a contract to make it worth investing money to open up a new seam.
Bassetlaw
Bassetlaw
Bassetlaw is the northernmost district of Nottinghamshire, England, with a population according to the 2001 UK census of 107,713. The borough is predominantly rural, with two towns: Worksop, site of the borough offices, and Retford...
has at the moment no working pits; the nearest is Maltby Main Colliery
Maltby Main Colliery
Maltby Main Colliery is a coal mine situated on the eastern edge of the township of Maltby, South Yorkshire, some 7 miles east of Rotherham. It is presently the only colliery in production in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham.-History:...
in South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
.
The mothballing of the pit brings an end to 86 years of mining in Bassetlaw.
History
Work began on sinking the shaft in 1913, when the Northern Union Mining Company was set up. This was with an investment in GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
equipment and men, but with the start of the First World War (1914-1918) the German workers were interned and the company's assets were impounded by the Government, and so construction was halted.
Later in 1917 the pit was bought by Messrs. Barber, Walker & Co. for £80,100, becoming full owners in 1921 after the war repayments scheme. The sinking of the shafts was started with preliminary works in 1919, but the first real sinking started in 1921. Water problems were encountered but this was overcome with the solidification of the ground with liquid cement grout
Grout
Grout is a construction material used to embed rebars in masonry walls, connect sections of pre-cast concrete, fill voids, and seal joints . Grout is generally composed of a mixture of water, cement, sand, often color tint, and sometimes fine gravel...
. On the 29 October 1923 the shaft sinkers eventually reached the Barnsley coal seam at 848 metres (2,782.2 ft) although there were problems with underground faults. The second shaft also reached the Barnsley seam on 15 November 1923.
In 1924 the colliery was connected with a 4.2 km railway line to connect with the LNER-owned East coast main line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
. The ECML
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
became very congested and a connection the South Yorkshire Joint Railway
South Yorkshire Joint Railway
South Yorkshire Joint Railway was a committee formed in 1903, between the Great Central Railway , the Great Northern Railway , the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway , the Midland Railway and the North Eastern Railway to oversee the construction of a new railway in the Doncaster area of South...
was considered, also linking the new Firbeck Colliery (sinking started in 1923) near Carlton in Lindrick
Carlton in Lindrick
Carlton in Lindrick is a village in Nottinghamshire, England. It is located 3 miles north of Worksop. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 5,818...
. A triangle junction would lead to another triangle junction near Sturrup with lines going to Harworth and another going through Oldcotes
Oldcotes
Oldcotes is a village in Nottinghamshire, England. It is in the civil parish of Styrrup with Oldcotes. The village is centred around the crossroads of the A60 and A634 roads, five miles south east of Maltby.The history of the village is long and varied...
and Langold
Langold
Langold is a village in Bassetlaw, North Nottinghamshire. It was built to provide housing for the miners of Firbeck Colliery between 1923 and 1927, and Langold Lakes Country Park is situated on the south-western edge of the village.-History:...
to reach Firbeck. The forecast for Harworth was 5000 tons per day; this would have meant more congestion, so the opportunity was taken by the new owners on the SYJR (LNER and the LMS
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
) to build the line to connect both collieries. This was completed in 1928.
There were also several Coke ovens at Harworth, and like Maltby Main Colliery
Maltby Main Colliery
Maltby Main Colliery is a coal mine situated on the eastern edge of the township of Maltby, South Yorkshire, some 7 miles east of Rotherham. It is presently the only colliery in production in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham.-History:...
it was decided to modernise the pit in the 1950s. Rebuilding with the concrete headgears began in the late 1950s.
These structures were replaced with the current headgears in 1989 (No 1 Shaft) and 1996 (No2 Shaft). Shortly after the No1 Headgears were built the new surface main mine fan was also commissioned to efficiently ventilate the workings.
Uses of the coal
The coal early on was from the Barnsley seam, the top layer being good for steaming and the lower parts for house and coking (mix). Harworth coal was in great demand from railway companies like the LNER. The Flying ScotsmanLNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman
The LNER Class A3 Pacific locomotive No. 4472 Flying Scotsman was built in 1923 for the London and North Eastern Railway at Doncaster Works to a design of H.N. Gresley...
locomotive, one of the most famous steam engines in the world (now owned by the National Railway Museum
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
) was burning Harworth coal when it covered the 392 miles from London to Edinburgh in a record seven hours and 27 minutes in 1932.
With the decline of steam power in the late 1960s and coal being used less for gas and heating the coal began to be used for producing power. Power stations like Drax and Cottam
Cottam Power Station
The Cottam power stations are a pair of power stations, located on the River Trent at Cottam near Retford in Nottinghamshire. The largest of the two is a coal-fired power station, which was commissioned in 1969 by the Central Electricity Generating Board, and has a generating capacity of 1,970...
used Harworth coal, this being transported by the SYJR. Other lower seams included the Parkgate seam.
Recent history
In more recent history, Harworth successfully reached the one-million-tonnes-in-a-year figure in 1993.The pit's closure was considered in November 2002 when owners UK Coal warned the 400 workers the pit was in trouble unless yearly losses of £8 million could be reversed. Three years later, to save the pit, the only possible solution for the 450 workers was to invest £50 million to access a new seam. If that was to happen the pit would have up to 25 more years worth of coal.
Profits at UK Coal increased nearly fourfold in one year as the company benefited from property sales, higher coal prices and smoother mining operations.
UK Coal, which operates four deep collieries and several surface mines, reported that pre-tax profits had jumped by 292% to £69 million in the year 2007.
On 21 April 2008, UK Coal said it was to consider plans to reopen Harworth colliery, and also investing £100m to extend the lives of the Thoresby Colliery in Nottinghamshire and Kellingley Colliery
Kellingley Colliery
Kellingley Colliery is one of the newest of the few deep coal mines left in Britain today. It is situated at Beal in North Yorkshire, about east of Knottingley in West Yorkshire, on the A645, although the postal address is Knottingley, West Yorkshire, and east of Ferrybridge power station. The...
in Yorkshire.
Work has recently started underground at Harworth colliery to make good several kilometres of roadway and infrastructure to enable access to the millions of tonnes of coal that remain to be mined. Also a team of experts have been assembled at the groups HQ who have been tasked with planning the methods of accessing the remaining coal.