# The end of another old mine in the Dean



## smiffy (Jan 19, 2009)

........As I've mentioned in a few posts and threads over the last 12 months the Coal Authority has been very busy here in The Forest of Dean ‘making safe’ any old coal mine and colliery shafts and drifts that in some cases have been quietly lying idle for over 50 years. It seems that although no-one has actually been hurt (not to my knowledge anyways) new Health and Safety and Public Liability obligations have made necessary these moves. Although I’m not sure what else could be done with some of these old pits I don’t really like seeing them disappear but it’s a reality that’s happening so the only thing I can do is hope to log them all as they go..(The idea of some kind of museum based around an old mine is always there….but in reality the one already established coal mining museum in the Forest really struggles to pull enough folk in to stay open and in fact only manages to keep going because they have started mining operations again).
It has been suggested these old mines could be ‘gated and made safe’ but that’s not really an option. Vandalism of the fencing etc is always going to be a problem and general ‘wear and tear’ over the years would mean the Coal Authority would still have an obligation to maintain the security and safety of a mine…. which would then of course cost them money. Their chosen plan is to totally obliterate the mine or shaft by complete filling and then capping and then a full ‘landscaping job’ to completely remove any evidence that there was ever in fact a mine on the site.
With this in mind I keep a close eye on all the remains I know of in the Dean and took the opportunity to get these shots very recently….This old mine has been closed since approx 1965-ish ….Unusually for a Forest Freemine it was very dry and also didn’t go in at a very steep angle………..However ….By the time you read this …this particular old mine will be completely bulldozed in and over and gone forever…
……...Hope you like anyways……onto the photos………

This is what the entrance had looked like for over 40 years……..






This is what the mine looked like after the excavator dug out the entrance……… 





An upturned coal tub on the main haulage road……. still in relatively good condition considering it had lain forgotten down there since the 60s……..





Looking to the right of the tub into the first spur heading off the main haulage road….





Down the right hand road……….still up but a bit iffy………





Looking down what would have been the ‘main haulage road’ into the mine……..note the rather rough timbers and hanging roof……The coal is very visible in this photo running left to right on a slight pitch……… around about a 3 feet thick seam but which is also a bit too ‘claggy and soft’ just here to be of great value ………..the coal would probably (hopefully!) have got a lot harder deeper into the mine ….this part of the seam is only about 50 feet below ground though and could be considered as almost ‘outcrop’ coal……Coal like this will burn but its not really worth bothering with and would usually be discarded and dumped on the spoil heap………However….This would have been the first coal seen when the mine was being developed…….. the fact that they had ‘struck coal’ only just below the surface and also how consistent the seam appeared to be (no faults visible) and how thick it was all would have been very encouraging for the miners working here…….It must have been good times for them……...coal, plenty of it……….and no water either!





As far as I was gonna go ….the ‘roof’ was still up for a lot further into the mine but summat said ‘far enough’……….





Looking into the road that ran off to the left of the haulage road more or less opposite the right handside road….This road had obviously been ‘closed off’ when the colliery was still working as spoil has been tipped in it almost up to the roof…...if a ‘district’ (the particular area of the seam) that a road led to was worked out then the usual practice would be to dump muck/waste into that area… thereby saving the time and money of hauling it to the surface ….To give you an idea of scale the roof here was about 5 feet high……..I could see over the dumped spoil and the roof was still up a lot further in but I wasn’t tempted…….


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## Foxylady (Jan 19, 2009)

It's sad to think that it's all infilled and gone now. I find these freemines really interesting...the whole way of life in the forest must have revolved around these. Thanks for posting them, smiffy. Tis a good record of sites soon to be lost.


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## TK421 (Jan 19, 2009)

Smiffy, what an interesting find, and well done for getting down there for the photos before it's lost forever, finding that little truck is really lucky. Are there many mines in the area?


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## BigLoada (Jan 19, 2009)

Excellent explore mate. Pity about losing the place, damn H&S!! Wish that old tub could be saved though.


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## ricasso (Jan 19, 2009)

All power to you old Butt, keep up the good work recording these sites, I know its a bit of a cliche but when
they've gone,the've gone


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## smiffy (Jan 19, 2009)

TK421 said:


> Smiffy, what an interesting find, and well done for getting down there for the photos before it's lost forever, finding that little truck is really lucky. Are there many mines in the area?



At one time there were quite probably hundreds.....
...There were about 15 'big' collieries ('big' as in employing at least 300 men and a few employing over a 1000 men) and also countless smaller collieries employing maybe 20 or 30 or 40 men ...........Next in line came the 'Freemines' which were usually operated by families/dads and sons or a couple of close mates etc.......... The Forest of Dean was a serious 'on the map' coalfield up til the last big colliery closed in '65........ Now sadly there are only a few small mines left and only one of them is 'full time' the rest are more or less 'hobby' mines or are already abandoned.................To give you an idea.....at the time of the general strike in 1926 over 6500 men are estimated to have been working underground in the Forest of Deans coal mines................All this in a area roughly 5 miles square..........


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## Sabtr (Jan 19, 2009)

Excellent stuff. 

I want that coal tub in my garden. I suppose it is a matter of time before all the adits and shafts are capped.

Thanks for posting.


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## TK421 (Jan 19, 2009)

Smiffy, wow, I never knew it was that substantial, you obviously know your stuff, thanks the extra info.


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## Lightbuoy (Jan 19, 2009)

Thanks for sharing your photos. As you say, shame that it's now gone forever 

Good effort matey 

Lb :jimlad:


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## mr_bones (Jan 19, 2009)

A very rare chance to see something like this, I can see why they wanted to make it safe. Looks well dodgy down there! Thanks for sharing.


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## crickleymal (Jan 20, 2009)

Nice one. Shame about the old dram. I'd like that in my garden although whether SWMBO would agree is another matter.


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## smiffy (Jan 20, 2009)

crickleymal said:


> Nice one. Shame about the old dram. I'd like that in my garden although whether SWMBO would agree is another matter.



Well I can't say as I know for sure.....and no-one is gonna dig that old mine open again to find out ....but....I think...... and its only 'think' mind you......that old dram..... may of ......... only 'may of' mind you!.......have been...... ahem.....shall we say.......rescued......

And regards SWMBO you simply 'explain' to her......... 
"Darling .....it is an ancient industrial artifact and of almost indescribable value........
........................to me if no-one else"....
...................hehheh!


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## Engineer (Jan 21, 2009)

*FOD mines.*

Nice pics, nice roof supports.
They must have filled in 40-50 old levels around my area in S. Wales over the last few years!


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## crickleymal (Jan 21, 2009)

smiffy said:


> Well I can't say as I know for sure.....and no-one is gonna dig that old mine open again to find out ....but....I think...... and its only 'think' mind you......that old dram..... may of ......... only 'may of' mind you!.......have been...... ahem.....shall we say.......rescued......








> And regards SWMBO you simply 'explain' to her.........
> "Darling .....it is an ancient industrial artifact and of almost indescribable value........
> ........................to me if no-one else"....
> ...................hehheh!



 I think she might just see through that one. Although the "I'll just hang onto that, it might come in handy" syndrome is starting to rub off on her after all these years.


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## LiamCH (Jan 21, 2009)

smiffy said:


> Well I can't say as I know for sure.....and no-one is gonna dig that old mine open again to find out ....but....I think...... and its only 'think' mind you......that old dram..... may of ......... only 'may of' mind you!.......have been...... ahem.....shall we say.......rescued......



In the vague possibility that someone did actually get it out of there, how much do you suppose - hypothetically - that it would weigh, and how on earth would they carry it home?

And do you reckon that anyone who may do such a thing may then deside to paint it and restore it, and then send me a before and after shot? I love those.


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## borntobemild (Jan 23, 2009)

great stuff Smiffy. 
The least they could do is just put some little plaque or something to say where it had been. Wouldn't cost a fortune.


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## LiamCH (Jan 23, 2009)

borntobemild said:


> The least they could do is just put some little plaque or something to say where it had been. Wouldn't cost a fortune.



But then you'd get a mine explorer in a digger coming along and making his own access.


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