Midgeholme Coalfield

The Midgeholme Coalfield is a coalfield in Midgeholme,^[1] on the border of Cumbria with Northumberland in northern England. It is the largest of a series of small coalfields along the south side of the Tyne Valley and which are intermediate between the Northumberland and Durham Coalfields to the east and the Cumberland Coalfield to the west. Like the other small coalfields to its east, this small outlier of the Coal Measures here at Midgeholme occurs on the Stublick-Ninety Fathom Fault System, a zone of faults which defines the northern edge of the Alston Block otherwise known as the North Pennines. It is recorded that coal was being mined here in the early seventeenth century and coal trains were being hauled from Midgeholme Colliery along the Brampton Railway by Stephenson's Rocket, the famous locomotive, in the 1830's.^[2] The early workings have left a legacy of spoil heaps, bell pits, shafts and adits. There is no current coal production.^[3][4]

The following coal seams are recognised from the Pennine Lower Coal Measures within this coalfield. The list is organised stratigraphically, with the uppermost seam first:^[5]

• Bounder
• Craignook Upper
• Craignook Lower
• Little
• Threequarters Half
• Threequarters Quarter
• Wellsyke
• High Main
• Slag
• Low Main
• Ganister Clay (Kellah)
• Gubeon

References

1. ^ http://www.dmm.org.uk/colliery/m039.htm
2. ^ Michael R. Bailey, John P. Glithero, 2000, The engineering and history of Rocket: a survey report, Science Museum, London
3. ^ http://www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/understanding/geology/geologicalhistory/carboniferousrocks/carboniferoussuccession/penninecoalmeasuresgroup.htm
4. ^ British Geological Survey 2007 Bedrock geology: UK North 1:625,000 scale geological map, BGS, Keyworth, Notts
5. ^ Stone P. et al. 2010. British Regional Geology: Northern England (5th Edn), (Keyworth, Notts, British Geological Survey)

Coordinates: 54°55′25″N 2°33′47″W / 54.9237°N 2.5630°W / 54.9237; -2.5630