Coalfields question

[thoresby]

Hi. Can anyone tell me why there are no coalfields in places like Surrey, Hampshire, Devon and East Anglia?
Is it because those areas were solid ground, rather than swamp, in prehistoric Carboniferous times or is it that the whole of the UK is sitting on coal but that it's far too deep to mine beneath places like Surrey and Hertfordshire?
Look forward with interest to any replies.
Many thanks.

[dazbt]

Mar 8, 2016 4:07:20 GMT -5 thoresby said:

Hi. Can anyone tell me why there are no coalfields in places like Surrey, Hampshire, Devon and East Anglia?
Is it because those areas were solid ground, rather than swamp, in prehistoric Carboniferous times or is it that the whole of the UK is sitting on coal but that it's far too deep to mine beneath places like Surrey and Hertfordshire?
Look forward with interest to any replies.
Many thanks.

some coal has been mined in Devon, though whether it can be termed as a coalfield is questionable;

ougs.org/local_geology/article.php?id=133&&branchcode=swe

[merlin]

there is no coal in north west only Anglesey because the rocks are older than coal mainly Silurian slate bearing bearing strata where I live it is coal bearing strata a few miles away in Llangollen is the start of carboniferous limestone

[John]

There probably is coal under East Anglia, but, it will be very deep as all seams dip to the east. Not sure if anyone has drilled bores to seek out seams, but, there have been bores drilled in Lincolnshire proving coal is there, last bores the NCB sank east of the Notts coalfield was east of Newark, seams were too deep to mine conventionally though.
I believe oil exploration also found thick seams in west Lincs, very deep though.

My guess is the Yorks, Notts coal seams extend under the North Sea and into mainland Europe, the French, Dutch seams are just extensions of the UK seams.

[lena01]

A coalfield is an area of certain uniform characteristics where coal is mined. The criteria for determining the approximate boundary of a coalfield are geographical and cultural, in addition to geological. A coalfield often groups the seams of coal, railroad companies, cultural groups, and watersheds and other geographical considerations. At one time the coalfield designation was an important category in business and industrial discussions. The terminology declined into unimportance as the 20th century progressed, and was probably only referred to by a few small railroads and history buffs by the 1980s. Renewed interest in industrial heritage and coal mining history has brought the old names of the coalfields before a larger audience.

[smshogun]

These areas are, and still are swamps and these conditions are not suitable for forming coal or any other seams as the conditions do not exist for them to be allowed to form.

If you go into London and watch any excavation you will see that by 6' deep, any hole will be pushing out water.

[tygwyn]

There is the Hidden Oxfordshire coalfield,cannot think of the correct term its known by,that presumably travels on to Berkshire.

[quimbyj1745]

Oxfordshire. when I started work it was at warwickshires southernmost pit at binley Coventry. the Warwickshire thick coal had split into 4 workable seams and the further south the pit worked the seams continued to split. In private enterprise days a proving borehole was put down in Oxfordshire that proved that the seams were present but at depth and thin.

[tygwyn]

I read somewhere that a few boreholes were done in Oxfordshire,and as you say the seams were at great depth.

[merlin]

Apr 1, 2016 11:00:25 GMT -5 John said:

There probably is coal under East Anglia, but, it will be very deep as all seams dip to the east. Not sure if anyone has drilled bores to seek out seams, but, there have been bores drilled in Lincolnshire proving coal is there, last bores the NCB sank east of the Notts coalfield was east of Newark, seams were too deep to mine conventionally though.
I believe oil exploration also found thick seams in west Lincs, very deep though.

My guess is the Yorks, Notts coal seams extend under the North Sea and into mainland Europe, the French, Dutch seams are just extensions of the UK seams.

[merlin]

there is coal in the vale of Clwyd north wales by st asaph has it ever been exploited