- North Staffordshire Coalfield
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Contents
Introduction
The North Staffordshire Coalfield is an historic coalfield in the County of Staffordshire, England. The Coalfield emcompasses an area of nearly 100 square miles (260 km2) and that area is virtually wholly contained within the boundaries of the city of Stoke on Trent and the borough of Newcastle under Lyme. There are three other smaller coalfields which are associated with the North Staffs field and they are the tiny Shaffalong and Goldsitch Moss Coalfields near to Leek and the Cheadle Coalfield. Coal mining in North Staffordshire was recorded as early as the 13th century by the monks at Hulton Abbey[1] but the industry grew during the Industrial Revolution when coal mined in North Staffordshire was used in the areas famous Pottery industry of the Potteries, and also the local Iron industry as ironstone deposits were also found with the coal in certain areas.
The heyday of the industry was in the period before the First World War when over 20,000 men worked in the industry and over 50 pits were in operation. After Nationalisation in 1947 the industry was gradually reduced in size as the smaller pits were closed or merged with the larger, more modern mines. The industry began its final decline after the 1984-85 Miners strike and the last deep mine in the North Staffs Coalfield, Silverdale was closed on Christmas Eve 1998.[2]
Geology
The North Staffordshire Coalfield is a compact and heavily faulted coalfield,which is triangular and troughed like a saucer in its shape. However for its relatively small size it has an amazing number and variety of workable seams;[3]
- Seams within the Middle Coal Measures
- Winghay
- Rowhurst
- Burnwood
- Moss
- Five Feet
- Yard
- Ragman
- Hams
- Bellringer
- Ten Feet
- Bowling Alley
- Holly Lane
- Hard Mine
- Seams within the Lower Coal Measures
- Banbury
- Cockshead
- Bullhurst
- Winpenny
- Diamond
- Brights
- King
- Crabtree
- Two Feet
History
Coal and ironstone were being dug in the Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire area as early as 1282, and by 1467 the Great Row coal seam was being mined and used for firing pottery. The actual area within which the coal is exposed at the surface is 70 square miles (180 km2), which is small compared to other coalfields, but along the central part of this the thickness of the seams is much greater than that of any other English coalfield except Lancashire.
The coal industry gradually expanded due to demand from the pottery and iron industry. It was also due to the establishment of the new transport system, canals (1777) and later railways (1837).
The coal industry went from private small owners to big group ironmaster owners, to nationalisation in 1947, until the last deep mine (Silverdale) was closed in December 1998.
References
- ^ Coal in the western area. the National Coal Board public relations. 1982.
- ^ Deakin, Paul (2004). Collieries in the North Staffordshire Coalfield. Landmark publications. ISBN 1 84306 138 4.
- ^ Hains, B.A. & Horton, A., 1969 British Regional Geology: Central England (3rd edn), London, HMSO for British Geological Survey
External links
Categories:- Mining in Staffordshire
- Coal mining regions in the United Kingdom
- Staffordshire geography stubs
- Mining stubs
- Seams within the Middle Coal Measures
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