Links for stories about mining in Clay Cross and then maps of the Clay Cross Companies collieries as detailed below.
Collieries in the Clay Cross area
The link on the left will take you to an 1884 map and modern map of that area.
Clay Cross Company Collieries.
Clay Cross Number 1 and 3 collieries, located within the Clay Cross Works.
Clay Cross Number 2 colliery, located at Coney Green, at the eastern end of the Clay Cross Works near the railway bridge, which carries the road to North Wingfield.
Clay Cross Number 4 colliery located near Ankerbold and was called either Ankerbold or New Foundation Colliery and is also near where the Clay Cross station was located about 1¾ miles north of the village.
Clay Cross Number 5 and 6 collieries were located at Morton.
Clay Cross Number 7 colliery called Parkhouse but located nearer Danesmoor. More on this colliery at Parkhouse Pit.
Clay Cross Number 8 colliery located on Flaxpiece, Clay Cross. View the Agreement and Specification for sinking the shafts.
Clay Cross Number 9 and 11 collieries, located at the Avenue, between Wingerworth and Grassmoor. Number 10 was supposed to have been sunk here, but it never materialised. The area was later developed into a coking plant, which has now closed.
Bonds Main Colliery, brought from the Staveley Company. Located at Temple Normanton.
|
|
Around Clay Cross, the collieries where inter-linked under ground, during the rescue of trapped miners from Number 7 Parkhouse colliery, their bodies were brought out of Number 8 (Flaxpiece). When Number 2 closed, the shaft remained open for ventilation and rescue for Number 7. A connection tunnel from Number 4 was made to Number 2 during the rescue attempt when Number 2 flooded in 1861. I wonder how many miners went underground at one pit and surfaced at another and if so, how did they keep their tally (headcount) correct? |
|
Other Collieries
There were a number of pits and shafts around the original village of Clay Lane, as shown on the old maps of the area. I have included to ones that I know about through my family research, as most of my ancestors were miners.
Alton colliery, located at Alton, near Ashover. There was 2 collieries here, called the old and new, I cannot find any reference to say whether they were operating at the same time.
Gentshill colliery, this is in an area that is now part of Danesmoor. This village was called Ainsmoor in the olden days. The colliery was between CXC No 7 and No 8, but I do not know if it worked the same coal seam or was connected.
Newmarket colliery, located between the bottom of Clay Lane and Newmarket on what is now Newmarket Lane.
There are a number of pits marked on the old map of the area, only really visible when you use maximum zoom. One of personal interest is marked on what is now Mill Lane, off Clay Lane, which was called Bacons Spring and there is a house with that name on the map. My maternal side of the family is Bacon and it was always said that the lane was named after the family and seeing that they were miners and that there was a pit on the lane, supports this theory.
If I produced a map for all the pits marked, this site would never be finished, therefore I will just leave you a link to the Old Maps website and you can navigate around the town for these pits.