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The Forest of Dean has at its centre a coal measure: coal has been mined here for centuries, though it's difficult to say when it started as charcoal and "seacoal" were both indiscriminately referred to as "coal" in early references. Mined coal then became "sea coal" - presumably because the first seams to be mined were those laid bare by the action of the sea on cliffs. However H G Nicholls, in his 1858 book "The Forest of Dean" says (page 230)
The first notice seems, however, to be that supplied by the records of the Justice Seat held at Gloucester in 1282, where it is stated that sea coal was claimed by six of the ten bailiffs of the Forest of Dean.
You could buy coal from the Forest of Dean until quite recently.
There is an article on the Free Miners of the Royal Forest of Dean
There's a page on Forest of Dean Coal mining
There are several named coal seams identified on the geological map. In sequence from the forest centre outwards (i.e. from the top downwards - most recent are in the centre of the forest, top of the list) the major seams are listed below:
The geology of the Forest of Dean is such that the strata are shaped like a basin, with the centre of the forest depressed and the various strata breaking the surface in succession as you get further away from the centre. Thus the original coal mines were effectively linear open seams which surfaced in certain areas. Here the coal was surface mined and these linear workings hardly had separate pits. Some examples are identified in H G Nichol's book:
Identifying individual mines is difficult because here have been so many. At on time 10,000 people worked in the mines of the forest. Also, underground many of the mineseventully met up as they mined the seams. Some of the identifiable coal mines and pits are lited below with map references. Of course collieries extend a long way underground, sometimes meeting with each other, so map references are generally the shafts, buildings or other access points as best they can be located. Some of the named mines are:
Colliery name | References | Map reference | Glos HER | Grid Reference | |
Addis Hill Colliery | |||||
Arles Level | |||||
Arthur and Edward or Waterloo | |||||
Arthur's Folly | |||||
As You Like It Pit | |||||
Ash Pit | |||||
Bailey Hill Colliery | |||||
Beech | |||||
Beech Avenue | |||||
Bilson | |||||
A deep pit | |||||
Birchill Deep Level | |||||
Bixlade | |||||
Bixlade Free Mine | |||||
Blackthorn's Pit | |||||
Bonnet Pit | |||||
Brick Pit or Moseley Green New Engine Colliery. | T2-6 | SO 630 083 | |||
Bridewell | |||||
Brittania Colliery | |||||
Broad Moor colliery | |||||
Broming Hold | |||||
Brookall Ditches Colliery. | T2-9 | SO 617 088 | |||
Broominghold Colliery | |||||
Broominghold Pits | |||||
Brunswick Pit | |||||
Buckholt Level. | T3-7 | SO 603 123 | |||
Bush Pit on Shaft | |||||
Cannop Colliery. | T3-8 | SO 618 125 | |||
Link is to a walk in Cannop. This deep mine was still active in 1953. | |||||
Cannop drift mine. A still active free mine. | T3-7 | SO 603 125 | |||
Castlemain Shaft | |||||
Catch Candle Colliery | CNQAA | 10545 | 364803 215760 | ||
Chapel Quarrryn Pit | |||||
Churchway Colliery | T1-7, CNQAA | SO 641 154 | 9981 | 363980 215355 | |
Churchway Shatf | |||||
Cinderford Bridge Colliery | |||||
Clements End Tump Colliery. | |||||
Coal and Iron were mined here and there are deep pits in the woods | |||||
Coalway Hill | |||||
Coal Pit Hill | |||||
Coffee | |||||
Croesus Pit | |||||
Cross Knaves | |||||
Crown Colliery | |||||
Crump Meadow Colliery, Cinderford | T1-13 | SO 639 138 | |||
Closed 1929. A pond and a spoil heap survive. | |||||
Dan's Level | |||||
Dark Hill | |||||
Deans Meend | |||||
Deep Pit | |||||
Deep Speedwell | |||||
Defender coal pit | CNQAA | none | 364530 215395 | ||
The area which included this mine was subject to open-cast extraction in 1960s and 1970s | |||||
Delves | CNQAA | 27625 | |||
Dipple | CNQAA | none | 364244 215636 | ||
Dodsmoor Colliery | |||||
Drybrook Coal Level | |||||
Duck. | T1-10 | SO 648 152 | |||
East Slade Colliery | SO 629 162 | ||||
East Slade Pit | |||||
Eastern United Colliery, Ruspidge | SO 648 113 | ||||
Eastern United Drift | |||||
Ellwood | |||||
Ellwood Green | |||||
Ellwood New | |||||
Engine Ditch Pit | |||||
Fairmoor | |||||
Farmer's Folly | |||||
Favourite | |||||
Flourmill Colliery, Bream | |||||
Fire Engine Colliery. | |||||
In the bottom between Nail Bridge and Cinderford bridge. Working around 1778. | |||||
Folly Pit | |||||
Foxes Bridge Colliery, Cinderford. | T1-14 | SO 640 134 | |||
Free Miner's Follies | |||||
Gentlemen Colliers | |||||
George's Folly | |||||
Gin Pit | |||||
Hale's | |||||
Hamblins Yorkley Freemine | |||||
Hamblin's Gale | |||||
Hang Hill | |||||
Harmony Colliery | |||||
Harrow Hill Colliery | |||||
Hawkin | |||||
Hawkwell | CNQAA | SO 643 159 | 10540 | 364300 215900 | |
Where is a photo of Hawkwell colliery on SunGreen | |||||
Haywood Colliery. | SO 659 151 | ||||
Hillers Land | |||||
High Delf Engine Colliery | |||||
Holly Barn | |||||
Hopewell Engine colliery. | SO 603 114 | ||||
Now a mining museum. with its own web site | |||||
Hopewell Mapleford Colliery. | T3-4 | SO 602 105 | |||
Horse Engine pits. | T2-5 | SO 631 085 | |||
Horse Gin Colliery | |||||
Horse Wheel Pit | |||||
Howbeach Colliery. | T2-3 | SO 639 088 | |||
Howler's Slade | |||||
Independance Pits 1 & 2 | |||||
Independent Level | |||||
Invention | |||||
Ivy Moor Head Colliery | |||||
Jarret's Pit | |||||
Jupiter Colliery | |||||
Knockley Stump | |||||
Lady's Slad Freemine | |||||
Land Royal Colliery | |||||
Leather Land Pit | |||||
Lightmoor colliery, Cinderford. | T1-15 | SO 642 121 | |||
The 1953 map shows spoil heaps but no mine. | |||||
Link's Delight Pit | |||||
Little Brockhollands | |||||
Little Britain | |||||
Lonk Level | |||||
Lower Lady's Slad Freemine | |||||
Luck's All Pit | |||||
Lydbroook D. Level | |||||
Mailscot | |||||
Meadow Cliff colliery. | T1-5 | SO 634 151 | |||
Meerbrook Drainage Level | |||||
Mile End | |||||
Miles Water Level | |||||
Monument colliery. | |||||
In Cannop, about 1/2 mile south of Hopewell. | |||||
Morses Level. | T2-4 | SO 640 088 | |||
Moseley Green New Engine Colliery, or Brick Pit. | T2-6 | SO 630 083 | |||
Mountpleasant Colliery | CNQAA | 12700 | 364170 215460 | ||
The area which included this mine was subject to open-cast extraction in 1960s and 1970s | |||||
Mule Pit | |||||
Mushett's Old Furnace Level | |||||
Nagshead | |||||
Nelson. | T1-4 | SO 634 149 | |||
Never Fear Colliery | CNQAA | 9980 | 363800 215320 | ||
New Boson. | T1-8. CNQAA | SO 644 152 | 9976 | 364400 215100 | |
A deep mine into the Coleford High delf seam. Closed 1925 | |||||
New Bridge Engine | |||||
New Engine | |||||
New Fancy Colliery, Parkend. | T2-1 | SO 628 097 | |||
New Found out | |||||
New Furnace Level | |||||
New Mount Pleasant Coal Pit | CNQAA | 12703 | 364430 215390 | ||
The area which included this mine was subject to open-cast extraction in 1960s and 1970s | |||||
New Regulation | |||||
New Road Level | |||||
New Speedwell Colliery | |||||
New Thatch | |||||
New Whitecroft Colliery | |||||
Never Fear. Active in 1858. | |||||
No Luck At All | |||||
Nofold Colliery | CNQAA | 21978 | 364360 215520 | ||
The area which included this mine was subject to open-cast extraction in 1960s and 1970s | |||||
Norchard Colliery | |||||
Norchard Drift | |||||
Northern United Colliery, Cinderford. | T1-6, CNQAA | SO 938 155 | 4357 | 363800 215500 | |
This was the last deep mine to be opened in the Forest and was also the last to be closed, in 1965. A number of the buildings survive. | |||||
Oaken Coal Level | |||||
Oakwood Bottom Colliery | |||||
Old Beech Colliery | |||||
Old Croft Level | |||||
Old Engine Coal Pit | |||||
Old Fire Engine | |||||
Old Foxes Bridge | |||||
Old Mill | |||||
Old Sling | |||||
Old Speculation | |||||
Old Thatch | |||||
Oldcroft Colliery | |||||
Paragon Deep Pit | |||||
Parkend Colliery Castlemain shaft | T2-7 | SO 619 089 | |||
Parkhill | |||||
Pastor Hill | |||||
Patches | |||||
Pearce's Shaft | |||||
Prosper. Active in 1858. | |||||
Phoenix | |||||
This is on the opposite side of the road to Hopewell colliery. Still an active mine. Connected underground to Hopewell colliery. | |||||
Pillowell Level | |||||
Pluckpenny | |||||
Princess Royal Colliery, Bream | |||||
Prospect | |||||
Prosper | |||||
Protection | CNQAA | none | 364410 215389 | ||
The area which included this mine was subject to open-cast extraction in 1960s and 1970s | |||||
Ready Money | CNQAA | none | 364281 215564 | ||
Regulator No.4 | T1-11 | SO 649 149 | |||
Resolution | |||||
Richard Winter | |||||
Royal Forester | |||||
Rose in Hand Collieyy | T3-10 | SO 615 118 | |||
Ruardean colliery. | SO 638 156 | ||||
Was still active in 1953. | |||||
Rush Pit | CNQAA | 21979 | 364600 215650 | ||
The area which included this mine was subject to open-cast extraction in 1960s and 1970s | |||||
Saint Vincent | |||||
Smith's Delight | |||||
Society | |||||
Small Profit | CNQAA | none | 364441 216053 | ||
Speech House Hill colliery. | T3-8 | SO 615 119 | |||
Speedwell | |||||
Soundwell | |||||
Speculation. | T1-1 | SO 614 135 | |||
Spero. Active in 1858. | |||||
Squib coal pit | CNQAA | none | 364582 215475 | ||
The area which included this mine was subject to open-cast extraction in 1960s and 1970s | |||||
Standfast Colliery. | T2-8 | SO 617 083 | |||
Strip-And-At-It colliery. Active in 1858. | T1-3 | SO 624 146 | |||
Success | |||||
The Delves, Cinderford. | |||||
Tormentor | |||||
Trafalgar Colliery, Cinderford. Closed 1925. | T1-2 | SO 625 144 | |||
Tump Pit | CNQAA | 12926 | 364650 215760 | ||
Uncertainty | |||||
Union Colliery. | T3-2 | SO 602 102 | |||
United colliery. | SO 638 155 | ||||
Unity | |||||
Valllet's Level | |||||
Wallsend | |||||
Waterloo or Arthur & Edward | SO 609 151 | ||||
Wellington Colliery. | T2-2 | SO 635 096 | |||
Well Level | |||||
Whitelea Level | T3-11 | SO 613 105 | |||
Wimberry Colliery | T3-6 | SO 603 122 | |||
Whimsey. | T1-12 | SO 648 147 | |||
Whirrley | |||||
Wiemell | |||||
Winners. Active in 1858. | |||||
Winner or Winning Colliery | T1-9, CNQAA | SO 644 150 | 9982 | 36400 214900 | |
Winning land | |||||
Winning Deep | |||||
Worrall Hill | |||||
Young Colliers Pit | CNQAA | 22704 | 364590 215530 | ||
The area which included this mine was subject to open-cast extraction in 1960s and 1970s |
References
T1-xx | The Speculation trail | The rambler's Association in collaboration with the Forest of Deam Local History Society have produced these three leaflets of mine trails which take in many of these mines. |
T2-xx | The New Fancy Trail | |
T3-xx | Cannop Ponds trail | |
CNQAA | Cinderford Northern Quarter Archaeological Assessment |
There is a page listing mine locations as listed in the book "The Mines of the Forest of Dean" by Tony Oldham
There is a page listing many of the Forest of Dean mines in 1938.
David E Bick's book The Old Industries of Dean has photographs of several of the above collieries and mre information as well as information and photographs of some of the old iron works, mines, quarries and other industries in the area.
H G Nicholls book lists the following:
H G Nichols reports that there were 121 coal-pits (31 of which were not then in work) in the forest in 1778. There were 221 pits at the close of 1856, yielding 460,432 tons. The ten largest were:
Tons | |
Park End Colliery | 86,973 |
Light Moor | 86,508 |
Crump Meadow | 41,507 |
Bix Slade | 26,792 |
The Nelson | 24,539 |
Hopewell in Whimberry | 18,858 |
Valletts Level | 17,918 |
Bilson | 17,395 |
Arthur and Edward | 12,857 |
New Strip and at it | 11,502 |
344,849 |
Peak District Mines Historical Society has a list of coal mines open in 1896.