# Aldwarke Main Colliery > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Aldwarke_Main_Colliery > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Aldwarke_Main_Colliery.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldwarke_Main_Colliery > Source revision: 1316677506 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Abandoned English coal mine **Aldwarke Main Colliery** was a [coal mine](/source/Coal_mine) sunk in the [Don Valley](/source/Lower_Don_Valley), near [Rotherham](/source/Rotherham), [South Yorkshire](/source/South_Yorkshire), [England](/source/England). ## History The name "[Aldwarke](/source/Aldwarke)" refers to an area in the Don Valley about 2 miles north of Rotherham, South Yorkshire stretching to the outskirts of the village of [Kilnhurst](/source/Kilnhurst). To its west is [Parkgate](/source/Parkgate%2C_Rotherham), to its east the villages of [Dalton](/source/Dalton%2C_South_Yorkshire) and [Thrybergh](/source/Thrybergh). The washlands of the [River Don](/source/River_Don%2C_Yorkshire) (known locally as "The Wash") was crossed by a toll road which was freed of toll in the late 1980s. Coal gathering at Aldwarke goes back to the 17th century with documents relating to tenants rights of way over the grounds and the River Dunne (Don) at Aldwarke ford, on both sides of river; and to any person fetching coals from pits. Earlier records still refer to charkcole (charcoal) to be cut in Rounde woodde near Aldwarke Manor house. ## Deep mining The colliery was sunk on a triangular section of land, to its west the main line of the [Midland Railway](/source/Midland_Railway), to the east the Mexborough to Sheffield line of the [Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway](/source/Manchester%2C_Sheffield_and_Lincolnshire_Railway) and to its south the road, known as Aldwarke Lane, a toll road across the lands of the manor of Aldwarke linking Parkgate to Dalton, near Rotherham. The colliery was linked to both adjacent railway lines and to a staithe on the River Don Navigation. The mine was sunk in three stages, the first shaft reached the productive [Barnsley seam](/source/Barnsley_seam) (bed) in 1867. It took a further 10 years, by deepening the same shaft to reach the [Parkgate bed](/source/Parkgate_seam) but it was not until 1884, with the sinking of a second shaft, that the [Silkstone seam](/source/Silkstone_seam) was reached. The colliery continued taking production from these seams until the [Second World War](/source/Second_World_War) when, between 1944 and 1946, the shafts were deepened to reach the [Swallow Wood seam](/source/Swallow_Wood_seam) and give better access to the Parkgate seam. Ownership was in the hands of Sheffield steelmakers [John Brown and Co.](/source/Firth_Brown_Steels) Ltd. and passed to the [National Coal Board](/source/National_Coal_Board) on nationalisation in 1947. ## Closure The colliery was closed on 30 June 1961. ## References - Official Handbook of Rawmarsh Urban District Council, 1959 v t e Coal mining in Yorkshire Coal mines in North Yorkshire Selby complex2 (Gascoigne Wood, North Selby, Riccall, Stillingfleet, Whitemoor Wistow) Tan Hill Coal mines in South Yorkshire1 Aldwarke1 Askern Barnburgh Barrow Bentley Brodsworth Brookhouse Bullcroft1 Birley Cortonwood Dalton Dinnington Elsecar Fence Harry Crofts1 Hatfield Hickleton High Hazels Huskar Kilnhurst Kiveton Park Maltby Manvers Markham Main New Stubbin North Staveley Nunnery1 Orgreave Rossington Rother Vale Rotherham1 Roundwood1 Silverwood Smithies Thorne1 Thurcroft Tinsley Park Treeton Waleswood Warren House Warren Vale Wath Wharncliffe Woodmoor Yorkshire Main Coal mines in West Yorkshire Caphouse Flockton Frickley Garforth Collieries (Isabella Pit, Sisters Pit, Trench Pit) Kellingley Killingbeck Middleton Shuttle Eye Prince of Wales Upton Waterloo Main Wheldale Woolley Incidents Allerton Bywater Colliery Explosion Cadeby Main pit disaster Lofthouse Colliery disaster Lundhill Colliery explosion Oaks explosion Peckfield Colliery disaster Coalfields and seams Coal seams of the South Yorkshire Coalfield Ingleton Coalfield South Yorkshire Coalfield Industrial relations UK miners' strike (1969) UK miners' strike (1972) UK miners' strike (1984–85) Battle of Orgreave South Yorkshire Miners' Association West Yorkshire Miners' Association Yorkshire Miners' Association Other articles Geology of Yorkshire List of collieries in Yorkshire (1984–2015) Monckton Coke Works National Coal Mining Museum for England British MPs sponsored by mining unions Notes 1 Pre 1974, most coal mines in South Yorkshire were actually in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Those annotated with a number 1, were closed before 1974. 2 The Selby Coalfield straddled the border of North and West Yorkshire [53°27′2″N 1°20′0″W / 53.45056°N 1.33333°W / 53.45056; -1.33333](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Aldwarke_Main_Colliery¶ms=53_27_2_N_1_20_0_W_region:GB_type:landmark_source:wikimapia) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Aldwarke Main Colliery](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldwarke_Main_Colliery) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldwarke_Main_Colliery?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.