Thorne Colliery No.3 shaft

[Wheldale]

Does anyone know the proper story about Thornes 3rd shaft? Ive heard it was proposed, i've heard it was sunk to 300 meters before it was stopped. While looking at the borehole records (Phil from the Welsh site gave a link to borehole logs and its great, full of information) there is a log for no.3 shaft and when looking on google earth it looks like there is a shaft collar with 4 square blocks around it (foundations for head gear?) so just wondered if anyone knows the full story behind this shaft?

[John]

Jun 20, 2012 13:46:09 GMT -5 Wheldale said:

Does anyone know the proper story about Thornes 3rd shaft? Ive heard it was proposed, i've heard it was sunk to 300 meters before it was stopped. While looking at the borehole records (Phil from the Welsh site gave a link to borehole logs and its great, full of information) there is a log for no.3 shaft and when looking on google earth it looks like there is a shaft collar with 4 square blocks around it (foundations for head gear?) so just wondered if anyone knows the full story behind this shaft?

From my understanding it was partially sunk, as you say to 300 metres, then abandoned and filled in.

Use Bing maps, the resolution is far greater than Google Earth!!

[John]

Using the Bing Maps, you can make out the shaft caps, all three look to be in line, using the BGS borehole site, the north is No2 shaft, then No1 shaft, and if you look on Bing maps, scroll down a little, there is a piece of waste land, and No3 is in line with the other two shafts, clearly visible. Oddly though, it's listed as 489.8Metres deep.....

OK, that was the proposed depth, the shaft sinking log shows open to 245.0m. but the bore is all the way down.

[Wheldale]

Bing maps are better than google, shame to start sinking a shaft only to fill it in!

[John]

Jun 21, 2012 14:28:23 GMT -5 Wheldale said:

Bing maps are better than google, shame to start sinking a shaft only to fill it in!

The story goes that some bod at area was doing his best to upgrade the pit and turn it into a big earner, another one you can blame on Maggie, agreed a shame after all the money that was spent on Thorne, new concrete headstocks, skipping gear, winding engines, loads of underground development and not a cobble of coal produced.