# A nice little ol' coal shaft



## smiffy (Jan 28, 2009)

Only a quick one this………
No details really available for this old coal shaft…
….Its been quietly sitting in the woods for many years….Capped sometime back around the late 50s or early 60s and not thought to have been used as a ‘production’ shaft…….information locally says it was an air shaft for a big colliery about ½ a mile down the road……
…Anyways …
..First off is a photo of the cap that was on top…covered in moss and gorse and pretty much forgotten….





Fortunate that it had been more or less forgotten really for when the excavator started to gently pull the cap to one side it fell completely apart and most of it hurtled down the shaft……….the concrete used was a really scant mix with barely any cement evident and only a few bits of rail steel as reinforcing which only just (literally by about 3 or 4” alone!!) rested over the shaft walls …Not only that but the ‘lid’ was less than 6” thick too………A good ‘jump’ on the top and you could quite literally have gone through………I guess this is one of the reasons the Coal Authority is so insistent on doing this work………….
..Bit scary really as I (and probably loads of folk before me too!) had stood on this cap only a few months before wondering how deep the shaft underneath was…
…… The answer is almost 170’……




… You could see clearly down the shaft which was part stoned and partly cut through rock…….. 




………..A narrow stream of water could be seen flowing at the bottom but it wasn’t flooded……Off to one side could be seen a roadway but actually capturing a photograph of the bottom proved beyond my photography skills……




………. The walls and stonework of the shaft was in really excellent order apart from the top foot or so of rough work that had been done to level the top for the old cap to be poured .........








Apart from that it certainly looked as though the shaft could have been put back into service……………Sadly not anymore though……….the remorseless minions of the dreaded Coal Authority shall once again have their way and the shaft is being filled with clean stone ready for re-capping and landscaping as you look at these pictures…………


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## BigLoada (Jan 28, 2009)

Awesome mate. Thats a wonderful bit of stone lining there. Tjhere is one identical and open just like this not far from me but The fence is to high to photograph it.

Good job man!


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## Sabtr (Jan 28, 2009)

Wow.

Good job you didn't disco dance on that! Such beautiful stonework. Gotta be done I suppose!


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## Lightbuoy (Jan 29, 2009)

Sausage said:


> Wow.
> 
> Good job you didn't disco dance on that! Such beautiful stonework. Gotta be done I suppose!



 True.

Shame that it couldn't have been capped with some sort of ironwork though, thus allowing the shaft to remain un-filled, and the occasional curious passer-by could still see down it 

Lb :jimlad:


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## Sabtr (Jan 29, 2009)

I know of an adit (coal) near me which seems to be getting the coal boards attention. That was about a year ago looking at the fencing etc. I will get a closer look at it but a flooded river is stopping me!

I wonder if the coal board are having a "purge" on old stuff like this?


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## Lightbuoy (Jan 29, 2009)

Sausage said:


> .....I wonder if the coal board are having a "purge" on old stuff like this?



I can only think that the H & S phantom is looming large within the Coal Board?

Lb :jimlad:

P.s. -wonder if sealing-up all these shafts, adits etc. will affect the integrity of the underground workings below? -I.e. -due to no / reduced ventilation?


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## Sabtr (Jan 29, 2009)

Lightbuoy said:


> I can only think that the H & S phantom is looming large within the Coal Board?
> 
> Lb :jimlad:
> 
> P.s. -wonder if sealing-up all these shafts, adits etc. will affect the integrity of the underground workings below? -I.e. -due to no / reduced ventilation?




Well, if they are having a purge on old workings they have a heck of a job on up here! 

I could take you to countless places where drifts and shafts have opened up. Mostly due to our friend water.  

The ventilation problems here are cured by vent stacks everywhere. Some are actually in stone walls so we don't see them. Others are lines of "rockets" with monitoring equipment attached. I watched some being created a few months ago too.


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## Lightbuoy (Jan 29, 2009)

Sausage said:


> .....The ventilation problems here are cured by vent stacks everywhere. Some are actually in stone walls so we don't see them. Others are lines of "rockets" with monitoring equipment attached. I watched some being created a few months ago too.



Ahh, thanks for that.

Lb :jimlad:


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## Landsker (Jan 29, 2009)

the coal borad keeps an eye on sites like this and on mine exploration forums apparently.


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## smiffy (Jan 29, 2009)

I think the root problem is this ever present spectre of possible future 
'public liability and/or culpability' in the event of any sort of incident regarding an old coal shaft or level.............
Scenario: The CA fit the shaft with a lovely new steel grill.........months go by...Mr Pikey comes along and says to himself summat like
"Wayy Hay! Theres 2 ton or so of heavy scrap sitting there!"
Half hours work with a Hiab on a lorry and a cutting lamp and he's ripped it free no matter how well fixed it had been..............
Little Johnny comes trotting along with his Pals the next day and the inevitable happens.....................
A few month or so later the CA find themselves in Court fighting a gigantic Compensation Claim off Little Johnnies Mum and Dad cos he's as dead as a 10 year old usually is after falling down a 200' pit shaft and some smart arse lawyer has realised that the CA had a 'Duty of Care' to keep every body safe from the shaft that was 'their responsibilty'...........
I totally agree these shafts should be preserved ....somehow..... but this bloody ever present nonsense 'nanny state mentality' is gonna beat us every time


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## underitall (Jan 29, 2009)

smiffy said:


> I think the root problem is this ever present spectre of possible future
> 'public liability and/or culpability' in the event of any sort of incident regarding an old coal shaft or level.............
> Scenario: The CA fit the shaft with a lovely new steel grill.........months go by...Mr Pikey comes along and says to himself summat like
> "Wayy Hay! Theres 2 ton or so of heavy scrap sitting there!"
> ...




All that proves Pikeys ruin everything, mostly UrBex related.

By the way, nice shaft.


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## Lightbuoy (Jan 30, 2009)

walsh said:


> the coal borad keeps an eye on sites like this and on mine exploration forums apparently.



The CB would say that they are being resourceful, I'd say that's cheating! 

Lb :jimlad:


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## Lightbuoy (Jan 30, 2009)

smiffy said:


> I think the root problem is this ever present spectre of possible future
> 'public liability and/or culpability' in the event of any sort of incident regarding an old coal shaft or level.............
> Scenario: The CA fit the shaft with a lovely new steel grill.........months go by...Mr Pikey comes along and says to himself summat like
> "Wayy Hay! Theres 2 ton or so of heavy scrap sitting there!"
> ...



Hit nail on head there! All true, soooo true.

Lb :jimlad:


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## Morrisey (Jan 30, 2009)

Oh my giddy aunt!!! why do these not open up by me. 200ft rope, gas detector and in we go especially if as you say it aint flooded.


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## Logan_Five (Jan 31, 2009)

BigLoada said:


> Awesome mate. Thats a wonderful bit of stone lining there. Tjhere is one identical and open just like this not far from me but The fence is to high to photograph it.
> 
> Good job man!



Where's that, BL? Drop me a PM - just curious!


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## BigLoada (Jan 31, 2009)

Logan_Five said:


> Where's that, BL? Drop me a PM - just curious!



Hi mate, its Whittle Colliery. Went last year, big stone lined shaft but its probably been capped as they were working on site at the time!


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## TK421 (Jan 31, 2009)

Nice one Smiffy, worrying about the 'thin cap'. I now have an image of you wandering round with a stick testing the ground


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## Logan_Five (Jan 31, 2009)

Uncapped shafts must be a major problem, especially where they have become forgotten and over-grown. I know there are supposed to be some on the south side of the river at Plessey Woods, near Bedlington. Wouldn't fancy going fishing for them.


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## Sabtr (Feb 1, 2009)

Logan_Five said:


> Uncapped shafts must be a major problem, especially where they have become forgotten and over-grown. I know there are supposed to be some on the south side of the river at Plessey Woods, near Bedlington. Wouldn't fancy going fishing for them.




You mean these mate. 







I have my eye on them.


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## smiffy (Feb 2, 2009)

Hey Sausage thats exactly what loads of old shafts looked like around here mate....Hidden away down in the woods with a bit of rough fencing round 'em ....a bit of pig wire and a strand or so of barb wire and thats yer lot..........
..........I really love it that they obviously weren't bothered about leaving a ferking great big hole lying in the woods and certainly didn't give a monkies toss about the dreaded H&S and Public Liabilty in those days.....................
.....................
*"Awh.... come on and hurry up Sid!.....the pubs open ...that'll do...they wont get in there...It's only a 400' deep hole and we've had all the coal out so what kind of twat would ever wanna get in there anyways !!!"..* 

Fast forward 20 or so years.......and along come us .....hehheh!


Hey and I'll tell ya what Morrisey......
........It's one thing to abseil _down_ a shaft like that but you must have some kinda arms on you if you'd actually even contemplate hauling yerself back up a 170' shaft though!.........heheheh!
And if you _have_ got arms such as that????..............well........ I wouldn't want a smack in the mouth off ya thats fer sure!


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## Sabtr (Feb 2, 2009)

Aye smiffy. 

This particular area is riddled with the bleedin things. I have known about it from a young age and avoided! Over recent years I have learnt a lot about workings old and new and what to look for. On this particular walk I saw old inclines and workings that anyone else would think were simply hills in the trees. Monks worked this area many centuries ago though the last photo I showed is actually quite modern. A strong rumour tells me that old leather helmets and tools are strewn all around. It is quite do-able with the correct equipment too. The mine is not mentioned on any maps.
A flooded river prevented me getting a better view - these two pics were with a long lens at nearly full tilt.

My father and his mates used to poach these woods when they were younger and used the fact that the mineworkings are everywhere to their advantage - joe public wouldn't go near it. There is also said to be a drift with ventilation equipment at the entrance too - I will need to look harder for that one. My father is actually encouraging me to record this stuff. I think he trusts me not to do anything stupid!

I will re-visit this place soon before the greenery grows once again.


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## Foxylady (Feb 2, 2009)

smiffy said:


> ..........I really love it that they obviously weren't bothered about leaving a ferking great big hole lying in the woods and certainly didn't give a monkies toss about the dreaded H&S and Public Liabilty in those days.....................



I can't help wondering if there have been any recorded accidents of people actually falling down these mines...or not! Just goes to show how stupid and out of hand this Public Liability has become. Not the same thing, but similar potential danger, were old mill ponds in the woods all around where I lived when a child. They were'nt very pretty either...circular with steep brick-built sides, very deep black water...absolutely gave me the willies coming across one, and there were a lot of them! All us local kids would play there or down the river and I never heard of one getting drowned or going missing. Some of us used to go home drenched after falling off the weir, though!


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## smiffy (Feb 2, 2009)

Foxylady said:


> I can't help wondering if there have been any recorded accidents of people actually falling down these mines...or not! Just goes to show how stupid and out of hand this Public Liability has become. Not the same thing, but similar potential danger, were old mill ponds in the woods all around where I lived when a child. They were'nt very pretty either...circular with steep brick-built sides, very deep black water...absolutely gave me the willies coming across one, and there were a lot of them! All us local kids would play there or down the river and I never heard of one getting drowned or going missing. Some of us used to go home drenched after falling off the weir, though!



I couldn't agree with you more Foxy..........
Down here in the Forest of Dean it was a real paradise on earth for a kid to grow up in.........
...........We had........ and all in great abundance...
..*Old Quarries* to chuck stuff off and to climb up and down 
..*Old mine levels *galore to go mooching in with a flashlight nicked from yer Dads shed if you were lucky or a *burning torch *made out of *diesel soaked rags *wound around a bit of stick if you weren't able to 'crack' the shed..... 
.*Dis-used railway tunnels *by the score to use the above method of exploration on....
Countless *di-used mine buildings* to clamber into and build camps in.......
*Dis-used rilway bridges *and even a couple of *viaducts* to wander over...lob stuff off....generally act the goat on........
Countless *miles of dis-used railway line *to hammer along on a succeccion of shagged out and smoking old motorcycles such as BSA Bantams and Triumph Tiger Cubs and one lucky bugger in our village had a Lambretta Scooter complete with mirrors!........
a pair of brothers in our village also had an *old Morris 1000 *that it seems now we used to load half the village into for a chase along miles of railway track beds........
Endless miles of *streams and brooks *to dam up and fall into.....
Dozens of old *colliery ponds *to build rafts for and to _also_ to consequently fall into !.....
Literally thousands of *staggeringly tall Oak trees *to 'prove yerself a man' on by climbing to the very top and then shitting yerself cos you knew you had to somehow get back down(but NEVER admittting that to yer mates of course!)
The list of things we used to do to amuse ourselves in the school holidays and weekends is endless......................AND!!!!!
I cannot recall one single fatality nor even a 'serious' injury _due to any of these activities _in my entire life..!!!!!!!!.......
Now the bloody Forestry threaten to hang you by the nuts if they so much as catch you riding an old dirt bike around and don't even dare to think about that towrope of yer Dads and that old shaft down in the woods!!!!!!!
Bring back the good old days when kids did proper 'kid things' (read the above list if in doubt!) rather than trying to get an adventure by playing a bloody computer game of some purple squirrel or a bloody Italian plumber leapng over canyons........Gggggrrrrhhhh!!!!!!!!!


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## seven8 (Feb 2, 2009)

smiffy said:


> I couldn't agree with you more Foxy..........
> Down here in the Forest of Dean it was a real paradise on earth for a kid to grow up in.........
> ...........We had........ and all in great abundance...
> ..*Old Quarries* to chuck stuff off and to climb up and down
> ...


Smashing stuff for urbexers there smiffy.

I am visiting one of your disused rail tunnels during the next week or so too! Can't wait, despite being totally shit scared of the pitch black!!


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## smiffy (Feb 2, 2009)

That was only half of it too!!!! .....
......I've left out the air rifles, Milbro catapults and bows and arrows 'wars' that used to regularly break out.......... But honestly even they never resulted in anyone getting seriously hurt...........Alright it's true that kids often stomped off home with a snivel and a sniff over their shoulder saying..........
_"I'm telling my Dad you shot me in the arse! He's gonna kill you ! "_
but no-one actually _really_ got hurt even when the games got really rough...
There was also 'King of the Tump' .........a strange game that took pace in our village and revolved around a spoil heap up by one of the old pits.......One kid would be nominated 'on it' and he would have to hide his eyes and count out loud to say 50...In that time all the other kids would hide within an agreed area surrounding the old pit......say. summat like......no further than that oak tree over there and the dirt track down the side and the old railway sidings .......
..On completeing his count the 'catcher' would seek out the 'hiders' ..and whilst doing so he would count out loud to summat like 50 again.......Anyone he found had to sit out the rest of the hunt but on reaching '50' anyone the catcher _hadn't_ found could jump out of their hiding place and make a dash for the top of the spoil heap........
.....If you made it you got a chance to hide again...but if he caught you ?....well then you had to join his 'team' for the next 'hunt'.
By the time there was only 2 or 3 of you hiding and say 20 others 'hunting and catching' it would get mighty rough .......any method of stopping you getting back to the safety of the tump was allowed.....full on rugby tackles were common enough but I saw some lads get smacked straight in the chops to stop them..............and if the 'big boys' in the village came along to join in with us younger lads you knew damn well it was gonna end up in a scrap between a few of them.............heheheh! 
Golden Days they was!!!!! Golden Days I'm tellin ya!!!!!


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## Logan_Five (Feb 2, 2009)

Sausage said:


> My father and his mates used to poach these woods when they were younger and used the fact that the mineworkings are everywhere to their advantage - joe public wouldn't go near it. There is also said to be a drift with ventilation equipment at the entrance too - I will need to look harder for that one. My father is actually encouraging me to record this stuff. I think he trusts me not to do anything stupid!
> 
> I will re-visit this place soon before the greenery grows once again.



Sausage - keep me informed on that one. Never ventured to that side of Plessey, but have been aware of what's supposed to be in there for years. The drift sounds intriguing - have you let BL know?

Smiffy - where me and BL used to live (a place called Stakeford) had an old pit spoil heap, from Boumarsund Colliery - when we were kids. I often used to frequent it on a bike with some pals. They used to do the more dangerous stuff, like riding up and down deep ravines, whilst I watched. I also remember people digging for coal on there during the 84/85 strike. In the end the spoil heap was reclaimed and landscaped. Apparently when they levelled it off, they found waste at the bottom of the heap, red hot.


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## tarboat (Feb 3, 2009)

Nice shaft that one. Glad you managed to get some shots before they filled it up. The level of so-called safety measures that are taken these days is ridiculous. No wonder kids get into trouble, they have no experience of danger and making their own assessment of risk. We were well equipped as youngsters to decide what we could and could not attempt.


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## smiffy (Feb 3, 2009)

Hey Logan!!
Spoil heaps catching fire was actually quite common apparently.....!
..One of the reasons was the washeries weren't that efficient in those old days so subsequently quite a lot of coal 'slack' ended up in the spoil heap........ subjected to exposure to Oxygen a form of 'spontanious combustion' would occur and tips would often begin to smoulder....Cannop Colliery in my area suffered from it for most of the Second World War and the tip would glow red hot in places..thousands of gallons of water were pumped over the tip cos of the worry that the glowing fire would reveal the colliery to German Bombers (The bombers weren't specifically looking for the Forest of Dean...they would usually end up here cos they had got a bit lost whilst looking for either Glouceester, Bristol or the docks at Sharpness)......They never did actually manage to put the fire out though .I guess it just sort of 'smothered' itself eventually........Pinxton Colliery up in (I think it was) Leicestershire also had a big problem with a tip that was on fire for years and was only finally put out when it was completely removed to build the M1!! ...
......Only about 6 years ago the Coal Authority had to open up a old spoil tip about a mile away from me ...The colliery next to it had been disused for over 50 years but for some reason the tip just started smoking ........they had to dig out hundreds of tonnes of slag before they managed to extinguish it....
And lastly.........
....Apparently tipping water on a burning spoil heap rarely actually helped.....
....Because the slag deep in the tip would be so hot the water would evaporate off before getting to the fire and this would in actual fact supply the fire with more oxygen ..
...Weird science hey ?



tarboat said:


> Nice shaft that one. Glad you managed to get some shots before they filled it up. The level of so-called safety measures that are taken these days is ridiculous. No wonder kids get into trouble, they have no experience of danger and making their own assessment of risk. We were well equipped as youngsters to decide what we could and could not attempt.


 You've hit the nail on the head mate......


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## the|td4 (Feb 11, 2009)

The rumor I have is that that area is fairly full of stythe as well... careful bud ! 

My father has one of those leather caps. 

There's also apparently a pipe just been put in over by deleval hall because the water is forcing stythe upwards after they've turned off the water pumps. 

I also just learned that the bottom of the surface drift of ashington colliery is under the mini roundabout just before maxwells diy in ashington.

Sausage / loada, I'm trying to procure a copy of the full uk coal authority maps, I will let you know how I get on...


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## Sabtr (Feb 12, 2009)

the|td4 said:


> The rumor I have is that that area is fairly full of stythe as well... careful bud !
> 
> My father has one of those leather caps.
> 
> ...



I'd kiss you on the head if you could show me one of those maps. 

I'm well aware of the stythe probs mate - the new pipe you mention is actually disguised in a stone wall. You would walk past it if you didn't know what to look for.

Ashington Colliery. I have fond memories of that place. To think - there is a full school below that diy shop. It is called the galleries and is/was amazing. One minute you were walking along a dusty underground roadway and after stepping through a door you were in a fully furnished and equiped classroom! Whiteboards and blackboards complete with books etc.


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## Logan_Five (Feb 12, 2009)

Never knew that there was a drift at Ashington pit. Interesting! :thup:


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## the|td4 (Feb 12, 2009)

Sausage my father's been looking at the vintage coal authority maps and pointing out where places are as you drive over them etc. It's a veritable rabbit warren around here ! 

Hehe I'm sure you are well aware of the dangers of the black damp, I just like talking about it because it makes me sound like I know what I'm on about and not just passing on info from my old man 

I'm going over to see him tomorrow so I will post the name of the maps he's been looking at, I'm just about 100% certain it's a full set of vintage coal authority maps. In which case, to the photocopier we go ! 

I'll let you know how I get on mate.

These shafts are the sort of things we should be lowering that wireless night vision cctv camera of mine into. It's itching for a mission like that.


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## BigLoada (Feb 12, 2009)

That would be ace if we could get copies mate. I'd love to see them too!


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## the|td4 (Feb 13, 2009)

I'll do my best lads, I was also going to take some pics of stuff from his private collection for your perusal. He has a lot of stuff. 

I will demand answers about the maps and if possible at all I will procure a set. I'll be seeing him tonight so I'll post later on about this.


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## Logan_Five (Feb 13, 2009)

TD4 - are a lot of the old mines still accessible (to some degree) for your old man and his pals for when they do inspections... assuming there's been no flooding, etc. Must be a really interesting job - obviously got to know what you are doing with regards to stythe, etc though.


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## the_historian (Feb 13, 2009)

Is 'Blackdamp' what we call 'Firedamp' up here, ie Methane?


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## LiamCH (Feb 13, 2009)

the_historian said:


> Is 'Blackdamp' what we call 'Firedamp' up here, ie Methane?



No, it's a different gas. More noxious than flammable. I don't know much about the various damps, so see Wikipedia.


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## smiffy (Feb 13, 2009)

In this area 'Blackdamp' is more commonly referred to as just plain old *'bad air'*.
........... comes from there being no fresh air circulation ......the resultant 'fumes' (Carbon Dioxide???) given off by the rotting timbers/props etc and the general vapours etc (for want of better words???) coming off the coal and outta the 'earth' in general I suppose.......
......this is known to 'hang' (or more acurately 'sit' ..cos its heavier than air) in disused mines............Not a problem when the mine is well ventilated but big trouble if you try breathing it...............also it usually won't have a smell to it so you won't notice it til its too late......
_(There was a bit on here a few months ago about a fella dieing up North somewhere cos he dangled himself down an old coal shaft and was ...
aspfix....ashphioc....asfikyiated..oh bugger it......
..he choked before he could be hauled back up..............)_
Firedamp is a different thing altogether and thankfully for some unexplained scientific reason has never been present in Forest of Dean coal mines but is found just about everywhere else coal is mined


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## Sabtr (Feb 13, 2009)

smiffy said:


> In this area 'Blackdamp' is more commonly referred to as just plain old *'bad air'*.
> ........... comes from there being no fresh air circulation ......the resultant 'fumes' (Carbon Dioxide???) given off by the rotting timbers/props etc and the general vapours etc (for want of better words???) coming off the coal and outta the 'earth' in general I suppose.......
> ......this is known to 'hang' (or more acurately 'sit' ..cos its heavier than air) in disused mines............Not a problem when the mine is well ventilated but big trouble if you try breathing it...............also it usually won't have a smell to it so you won't notice it til its too late......
> _(There was a bit on here a few months ago about a fella dieing up North somewhere cos he dangled himself down an old coal shaft and was ...
> ...




I always liken coal mines to giant compost heaps. 

All that rotting of plants etc going on for many years - except in mines the gasses are basically trapped by surrounding rock. Once a hole is made such as a shaft or roadway then these built-up gasses have a route to escape.


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## the_historian (Feb 13, 2009)

Cheers chaps.


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## the|td4 (Feb 20, 2009)

Right,

As it turns out the set of maps that my father's been looking at are the really old ones and not the newly plotted ones the CA are using. You can apparently request these CA maps but they come at a cost by all accounts. As for the vintage maps I think they're working on procuring a large format scanner to get them digitised with. I will let you all know how they get on and if I can get some digital copies I will.

The drift in ashington is under the following roundabout 

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=55.184394&lon=-1.586405&z=18.5&r=0&src=msl


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## Logan_Five (Feb 21, 2009)

That's where Sausage said it would be. Assume the drift will now be flooded, and was that the same one that was connected to Bothal Barn's Drift?


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## jonney (Apr 7, 2009)

My uncle has original maps for the collieries and drifts (showing the approx. direction and length of the shafts) in the Tow Law area. He campaigned (unsucsessfully) to stop the burials of the foot and mouth animals on Tow Law fell as they are buried on top of an old shaft (I think it was Black Prince Colliery but I'm not 100%) and he was concerned that the water source that runs through the old workings might become contaminated and seep into the water table thus contaminating the steam and eventually the river wear. They are his prize possetion and won't let anyone near them. They were passed down from generation to generation as my Dad's side of the family have worked in the collieries in the area for the last few hundred years. My Uncle was the last one and he worked on the opencast sites.


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