So, I was brought up on the Melrose Avenue area in the early 1960's. One place I remember my mum taking me and a load of local kids one day was a place we called the sheep dip. Yesterday, thinking that was over 60 years ago, I thought I'd try and find it. I started down Olde Back Lane, opposite the end of Coal Clough Lane and followed the track which I pretty much remember and eventually, past a farm down to New Barn Clough, near a footbridge. Although I don't recall as many trees, that was what we called the sheep dip our play and picnic spot. Here is the other thing, just near the footbridge I spotted a thick steel cable coming out of the ground - puzzling. The thing is, in the early 60's my dad used to take me to pick coal from somewhere around there, or at least in that general direction. Hard to believe these days but I went with him regularly. Surely, anywhere to pick coal must have been miles from there? Yesterday's little trip has got me really interested in the area and feel I must go back again and explore.
Hi Alan I had a walk last week same area but I wanted to find there shaft that looks like there was a water race with. Its just passed Habergham Hall and where track swings hard to right it us up there..... unfortunately it was chock full if milking cows and I had the dog. Next time I will go right down the clough...the coal comes to the surface in that clough. Clive
@@cliveseal1557 Interesting. I think I'll be going back and would like to find the tramway. I remember going with my dad a few times. In recall the walk but can't ever remember the actual picking coal bit. I do remember going across various fields but I always presumed it was on the Hapton slag heaps. From what you say, back in the 60's, there probably would have been various opportunities to find coal in that area.
My Grandparents lived at 248 Rossendale road. When I was a kid and visited we used to walk across the fields just below Cherry tree farm on Rossendale road, and we would reach a pretty stream a little way further on beyond the stream we came across some spoils. It was mostly yellow tippings and we found fossil horsetail plant material. I'm talking maybe 1968 . My dad said it was Hapton Collery spoils. I can't help you with your historical investigations. Maybe you could help me with mine? This will hurt because I've watched your interesting vids and know you were a miner I want to investigate my Burnley connections. It comes from unfortunately a sad incident that caused a lot of pain and suffering around 1872-73. My great grandfather John Mares was a tin miner and lived in Liskeard Cornwall. It was mostly copper mines but two men turned up from Burnley one stayed in a hotel in Liskeard the other in an Inn. They promised work in Burnley some as cotton operatives others in coal mines. I know a very protracted industrial dispute took place in Burnley 1872-73. Many from depressed areas of Devon and Cornwall where minesxwere closing. These desperate families sold all their posessions and on the promise of work moved to Burnleyinstigated by these two Burnley people one wirking for thecmine owner's the other for the colliery owners. Some did get jobs as cotton opetatives many did not and were falling upon chariry to survive. So the miners from Devon and Cornwall arrived and suddenly became aware that they had been shipped in to break a strike. I'd like to believe that my great grandfathers John Mares found himself in an impossible delema. He had burnt his bridges and had no way back so became a black leg. I know that Burnley virtually shut down like a mini national strike. The mills needed local coal to run machinary, the iron works also needed coal and the Burnley miners only wanted union recognition. The incomers from Devon and Cornwall unwittingly found themselves stuck in the middle. As a Burnley miner I imagine you had little sympathy fo these nieve incomers who undoubtably bankrupted the trade union and broke the strike. However they could not go back, bridges were burnt. My great grandfather left mining and went into the cotton mills and ironically died from an industrial accident in the mills. If anyone could help me fill in some of the historical stuff I' d be glad my email address alansaxon205@gmail.com
Alan, thanks for your detailed comment and your not the first to comment on the 1873 strike and your ancestors coming to the area. My ancestors also did but they came from the Fens to work in the cotton mills, like many others from their village. It's a very old tactic of the coal owners to get folk in from other areas to brake the strike...They have no money to get home so what can they do. I need to do some more in depth research into the strike. I can contact you by email to swap information. George Heys wrote a book on the Burnley Coalfield that can only be accessed in the library...he does go into a few disputes but I didnt examine the social side when I traveled down to read the book. I am very interested in the social impact of the 1873 strike so it is something to follow up. Clive
Great video. On the Lidar it looked like the ridge and furrow in the fields respect the shafts - do you reckon farmers would plough up to and around them, or were the shafts sunk through the old ridge and furrow? It was a bit hard to tell from the image. Might help with dating.
Interesting, reminds me a lot of the medieval Coal & Ironstone Pit's on Sharlston Common in Wakefield, maybe coincidental but also part of De Lacy's Baronial lands at Ponterfract Castle.
Yeh Thanks. The Ironstone around here is interesting in that it appears to be a very old industry that failed to make it through to the industrial age. We have definate records going back to 1300's but the deposits are thin and in some cases just Bullion stones. But it could go way back to Viking times
@@rossendalecollieries7995 I'd love you to do video on Ruddle Scout and the 1700s iron blast furnace at Holme Chapel - still a bit of a mystery a to why they couldn't make that one profitable whilst their Yorkshire concerns were so successful.
@@hywellewis9601 The Monkeys did a vid about getting in the old mine. I have an old paper about it, think its By Kerr who investigated the mine when it was still open, would love to know more about the blast furnace though.
@@rossendalecollieries7995 Did you see Titus Thornber's booklet on it? It was an outlier of the Spencer syndicate of West Yorkshire , and seems to have ceased operations by 1728.
@@hywellewis9601 I know the mine is believed to be 14th cent or there abouts, according to Kerr. It's thought that some of the ore from there came over to the Rossendale Bloomeries...it's a fascinating subject. No I haven't got Tite's Book
Goood videos Have you any of cuckoo pt , dixon hill and all the old drifts around thane area bcup road burnley Cheers ian Ive just stopped gitten coal from one driift when it opened upp Witj al land slide wje i told col board And the come n filled it in Ian
So, I was brought up on the Melrose Avenue area in the early 1960's. One place I remember my mum taking me and a load of local kids one day was a place we called the sheep dip. Yesterday, thinking that was over 60 years ago, I thought I'd try and find it. I started down Olde Back Lane, opposite the end of Coal Clough Lane and followed the track which I pretty much remember and eventually, past a farm down to New Barn Clough, near a footbridge. Although I don't recall as many trees, that was what we called the sheep dip our play and picnic spot. Here is the other thing, just near the footbridge I spotted a thick steel cable coming out of the ground - puzzling. The thing is, in the early 60's my dad used to take me to pick coal from somewhere around there, or at least in that general direction. Hard to believe these days but I went with him regularly. Surely, anywhere to pick coal must have been miles from there? Yesterday's little trip has got me really interested in the area and feel I must go back again and explore.
Hi Alan
I had a walk last week same area but I wanted to find there shaft that looks like there was a water race with.
Its just passed Habergham Hall and where track swings hard to right it us up there..... unfortunately it was chock full if milking cows and I had the dog.
Next time I will go right down the clough...the coal comes to the surface in that clough.
Clive
@@cliveseal1557 Interesting. I think I'll be going back and would like to find the tramway. I remember going with my dad a few times. In recall the walk but can't ever remember the actual picking coal bit. I do remember going across various fields but I always presumed it was on the Hapton slag heaps. From what you say, back in the 60's, there probably would have been various opportunities to find coal in that area.
Love the stories of the mining history in my town, Burnley. Much appreciated Clive. 👍
Very interesting Clive. Great music to accompany the drone footage. Keep em coming Clive.
Brilliant video Clive, cheers for posting 😊
Nice one Clive very interesting more more more
another top video! right on my door step as well!
Basically Brilliant Work Mate
My Grandparents lived at 248 Rossendale road. When I was a kid and visited we used to walk across the fields just below Cherry tree farm on Rossendale road, and we would reach a pretty stream a little way further on beyond the stream we came across some spoils. It was mostly yellow tippings and we found fossil horsetail plant material. I'm talking maybe 1968 . My dad said it was Hapton Collery spoils. I can't help you with your historical investigations. Maybe you could help me with mine? This will hurt because I've watched your interesting vids and know you were a miner I want to investigate my Burnley connections. It comes from unfortunately a sad incident that caused a lot of pain and suffering around 1872-73. My great grandfather John Mares was a tin miner and lived in Liskeard Cornwall. It was mostly copper mines but two men turned up from Burnley one stayed in a hotel in Liskeard the other in an Inn. They promised work in Burnley some as cotton operatives others in coal mines. I know a very protracted industrial dispute took place in Burnley 1872-73. Many from depressed areas of Devon and Cornwall where minesxwere closing. These desperate families sold all their posessions and on the promise of work moved to Burnleyinstigated by these two Burnley people one wirking for thecmine owner's the other for the colliery owners. Some did get jobs as cotton opetatives many did not and were falling upon chariry to survive. So the miners from Devon and Cornwall arrived and suddenly became aware that they had been shipped in to break a strike. I'd like to believe that my great grandfathers John Mares found himself in an impossible delema. He had burnt his bridges and had no way back so became a black leg. I know that Burnley virtually shut down like a mini national strike. The mills needed local coal to run machinary, the iron works also needed coal and the Burnley miners only wanted union recognition. The incomers from Devon and Cornwall unwittingly found themselves stuck in the middle. As a Burnley miner I imagine you had little sympathy fo these nieve incomers who undoubtably bankrupted the trade union and broke the strike. However they could not go back, bridges were burnt. My great grandfather left mining and went into the cotton mills and ironically died from an industrial accident in the mills. If anyone could help me fill in some of the historical stuff I' d be glad my email address alansaxon205@gmail.com
Alan, thanks for your detailed comment and your not the first to comment on the 1873 strike and your ancestors coming to the area. My ancestors also did but they came from the Fens to work in the cotton mills, like many others from their village.
It's a very old tactic of the coal owners to get folk in from other areas to brake the strike...They have no money to get home so what can they do.
I need to do some more in depth research into the strike. I can contact you by email to swap information.
George Heys wrote a book on the Burnley Coalfield that can only be accessed in the library...he does go into a few disputes but I didnt examine the social side when I traveled down to read the book. I am very interested in the social impact of the 1873 strike so it is something to follow up.
Clive
Great video. On the Lidar it looked like the ridge and furrow in the fields respect the shafts - do you reckon farmers would plough up to and around them, or were the shafts sunk through the old ridge and furrow? It was a bit hard to tell from the image. Might help with dating.
I think the shafts are after the farming but I cant be sure. I really need to do some more ground work on this one, these are very old
Interesting, reminds me a lot of the medieval Coal & Ironstone Pit's on Sharlston Common in Wakefield, maybe coincidental but also part of De Lacy's Baronial lands at Ponterfract Castle.
Yeh Thanks. The Ironstone around here is interesting in that it appears to be a very old industry that failed to make it through to the industrial age. We have definate records going back to 1300's but the deposits are thin and in some cases just Bullion stones. But it could go way back to Viking times
@@rossendalecollieries7995 I'd love you to do video on Ruddle Scout and the 1700s iron blast furnace at Holme Chapel - still a bit of a mystery a to why they couldn't make that one profitable whilst their Yorkshire concerns were so successful.
@@hywellewis9601 The Monkeys did a vid about getting in the old mine. I have an old paper about it, think its By Kerr who investigated the mine when it was still open, would love to know more about the blast furnace though.
@@rossendalecollieries7995 Did you see Titus Thornber's booklet on it? It was an outlier of the Spencer syndicate of West Yorkshire , and seems to have ceased operations by 1728.
@@hywellewis9601 I know the mine is believed to be 14th cent or there abouts, according to Kerr. It's thought that some of the ore from there came over to the Rossendale Bloomeries...it's a fascinating subject. No I haven't got Tite's Book
Goood videos
Have you any of cuckoo pt , dixon hill and all the old drifts around thane area bcup road burnley
Cheers ian
Ive just stopped gitten coal from one driift when it opened upp
Witj al land slide wje i told col board
And the come n filled it in
Ian
Hi Ian...not as yet, though its planned I did a history of Dynley Colliery on my facebook page. Glad you could get a bit of the blackstuff
your getting better with age clive promise i wont dig in the garden for arley.