Coal Authority Interactive map viewer

[Wheldale]

Found this link a while back, when it loads up and you select mine entry on the right hand side it shows mine shafts/drifts in which ever area you look for. Many newer shafts/drifts (coal board ones)have info of when they were filled/how they where filled/who filled them and which year this was done.

mapapps2.bgs.ac.uk/coalauthority/home.html


Some one might find it of interest.

[John]

Dec 30, 2014 12:41:35 GMT -5 Wheldale said:

Found this link a while back, when it loads up and you select mine entry on the right hand side it shows mine shafts/drifts in which ever area you look for. Many newer shafts/drifts (coal board ones)have info of when they were filled/how they where filled/who filled them and which year this was done.

mapapps2.bgs.ac.uk/coalauthority/home.html


Some one might find it of interest.

Interesting information.
I wonder how long before they start posting abandonment plans?? I recall a few years back when they were scanning all abandonment plans that they stated they were going to make them available for internet viewing.

[Wheldale]

I asked the CA about the cost for a set of abandonment plans. They wanted 96 quid just to do a search!!

With the interactive map there are many many shafts that don't have information about them, but there's plenty of stuff about recently closed pits. Quite interesting information on there.

[John]

Dec 31, 2014 13:34:02 GMT -5 Wheldale said:

I asked the CA about the cost for a set of abandonment plans. They wanted 96 quid just to do a search!!

With the interactive map there are many many shafts that don't have information about them, but there's plenty of stuff about recently closed pits. Quite interesting information on there.

I think they will waive the search cost if you provide the plan numbers of the pit/pits you want. From what I recall, you can purchase DVD's of the whole UK abandonment plans for a couple of hundred quid, or one DVD holding an area of collieries for less. Remember though, each seam of a pit has it's own abandonment plan and numbers, you can locate those plan numbers at the CA site.

But some years back when I was emailing the CA, they did tell me they had plans to publish all abandonment plans on line. That was around ten years back now, they stated around three years to scan all, and then shortly afterwards. Sadly they are not on line yet.

[snowy]

Hi all I have just spent ages on this linked website and found it fascinating..  I worked last off at Bentley and the information it gives is that the shafts are plugged at around 290 mtr mark and says that it is void below to the shaft bottom,  forgive my ignorance but what would you suppose the conditions are below the plug would you think that all the workings and void below the plug be full of water.  Also if anyone can explain why the have left the shafts unfilled till 290 meters as it does not seem the norm with other Pits  Thanks in advance,  Snowy
  

[Wheldale]

Snowy, I've spent some time on the map viewer also. It's fascinating. Far more shafts than I realised are plugged or just capped.

Frickley the same as Bentley is plugged mid shaft. I wonder if the same contractor did them? I was wondering if the shafts were filled like this to allow water to flood the workings or allow gas to pass from pit to pit? Askern is near by, the shafts were never filled and gas is extracted to produce electricity.

Another thing that interests me is sumping of shaft fill. An old mine where my dad grew up, Ryhill Main, the shaft was filled in in the 70's after lofthouse. The shaft was 100m deep. On the map viewer it says that when last checked the cap was in poor condition, the cap was removed and the shaft fill had sumped by 40 meters! Cotgrave is another example but one shaft only sumped by 5 meters.

The map viewer is an interesting tool if your patient enough as I find it a little fiddly when you are presented with tens of shafts in a small area.

[tygwyn]

That`s interesting the mid shaft pluging,that gas possibility is a strong case.

Regarding the sumping of shaft fill,that could be down to 2 factors,

1.whether a stopping wall was built at pit bottom,or built adequate,

2.the quality of the shaft fill material.

[Wheldale]

Shaft fill that I've seen quoted on the viewer has been demolition rubble, shale from the pit tip, granite, limestone, filter cake. Quite a selection and I bet there are more types of fill. Some shafts have been grouted too. The Map viewer has a detailed write up on the shafts and drift at Daw Mill.

[snowy]

I Know its hard to believe but it appears that putting stoppings in the pit bottom before shaft filling is not a common practice I have recently worked on site at maltby and can confirm that they just dumped in the fill and let it find its own level.  this is going to cause issues with sumping in the future.

[John]

Jan 28, 2015 14:58:10 GMT -5 snowy said:

I Know its hard to believe but it appears that putting stoppings in the pit bottom before shaft filling is not a common practice I have recently worked on site at maltby and can confirm that they just dumped in the fill and let it find its own level.  this is going to cause issues with sumping in the future.

I think was known that shaft landings weren't all stopped up, but the engineering plans drawn up by the NCB/BC did stipulate all openings in a shaft had to be stopped with brick/breeze block walls and the space was supposed to be concreted. Then infill type was laid out in those plans, yeah right!! Just drop whatever down the shaft, not our problem in 30 or more years time....LOL

Problem is, shaft material is now slumping and shafts collapsing because the engineering specs weren't adhered to.
My first pit was closed in 1968, shafts filled and capped, and a factory was built over the top. I'd hate to be working in that factory when the shaft collapses!
Then Sunderlands Stadium, "The Stadium of Lights" is over the top of two deep shafts, pit the footballers playing when those two shafts collapse.

Manchester is built over old collieries, many shafts abandoned pre the laws on surveying, same with Wigan!