# Wheldale Colliery > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Wheldale_Colliery > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Wheldale_Colliery.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheldale_Colliery > Source revision: 1308711439 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Former coal mine in Castleford, West Yorkshire, England Wheldale Colliery Wheldale colliery after closure (1988) Wheldale Colliery Location Location Castleford County West Yorkshire Country England Coordinates 53°43′52″N 1°19′57″W / 53.7311°N 1.3325°W / 53.7311; -1.3325 Production Products Coal Production 409,000 tonnes (451,000 tons) Financial year 1949 History Opened 1868 Closed 1987 **Wheldale Colliery** was a [coal mine](/source/Coal_mine) located in [Castleford](/source/Castleford), [Yorkshire](/source/Yorkshire), [England](/source/United_Kingdom)[1] which produced coal for 117 years. It was accessed from Wheldon Road. After closure, the site was used to gather [coal-bed methane](/source/Coal-bed_methane) for conversion into electricity. ## History The colliery was founded in 1868 when two shafts, both 13 feet (4 m) in diameter, were sunk to the Beeston [coal seam](/source/Coal_seam) at a depth of 564 yards (516 m). Production started in 1870. One of the main investors was a Dr Holt, and so for many years the colliery was known as the "doctor's pit". In 1891 a fire in the colliery caused the death of five miners.[2] In 1899, on the 22 June one boy, Hodgson, aged 16 died, and another, Gregg, aged 15, was injured in an incident. The Wheldale coal company and Fryston coal company amalgamated. In 1919 Wheldale coal company amalgamated with Allerton Bywater colliery to form Airedale Collieries LTD. About 1000 men and boys worked in the mine, producing about 200,000 tonnes (220,000 tons) of coal each year. This was reduced in 1902 and 1903 because there was a long miner's strike.[3] On 22 February 1923, nine men were killed in an underground explosion. One was killed outright; the further eight dying from severe burns later.[4] Because Wheldale had no coal washing plant, in the 1930s a mineral line was laid from Wheldale to Fryston, and coal that required washing was sent to Fryston colliery. In 1947 the Wheldale colliery was nationalised, and in 1949 major improvements were made: The colliery was completely electrified. Two skips were installed in the downcast shaft, each with a capacity of six tonnes, allowing production of 350 tonnes per hour. The Downcast shaft had an electric winder which had two 475 horsepower (354 kW) motors. The upcast shaft, which was for men and materials, had two single deck cages, each of which could hold two tubs. The winder had a 180 horsepower (130 kW) motor. Conveyor belts were installed; Wheldale then had the longest single conveyor belt in the world, about one mile in length. Gate roads were 30-inch belts, trunk conveyors were 36 inches in width. The Flockton seam had two bunkers, a pit bottom bunker of 250 tonnes capacity and an inbye bunker of 200 tonnes. Dirt from repairs in the return gates was transported to the pit bottom in tubs. [Diesel locomotives](/source/Diesel_locomotive) carried men and material about the mine. By this time the shafts at Wheldale had six insets: Warren House seam at 600 feet (183 m), Haigh Moor seam at 846 feet (258 m), Flockton Thick seam at 1,135 feet (346 m), Middleton Little seam at 1,300 feet (400 m), Silkstone seam at 1,430 feet (436 m) m and Beeston seam at 1,693 feet (516 m). Coal was mined using AFC mounted trepanners. There was no [coal preparation plant](/source/Coal_preparation_plant) at the colliery, so while coal smaller than one inch could be sent directly to Glasshoughton Coking plant or by barge to Ferrybridge power station, coal larger than one inch was sent by locomotive to Fryston colliery for treatment.[5] At this time Wheldale's six hundred miners produced on average 400,000 tonnes (440,000 tons) of coal per year. In 1949, this was registered as being 409,000 tonnes (451,000 tons).[6] In 1950 there was another miners' strike at the colliery.[7] In 1972 Wheldale was the last colliery in Yorkshire to use [pit ponies](/source/Pit_ponies). Fryston colliery closed in 1985, and a barrel washer was set up to clean coal at Wheldale. In 1982 Wheldale produced a record-breaking output of 500,000 tonnes (550,000 tons). That year it was the last colliery in the UK to use a [steam locomotive](/source/Steam_locomotive) on its sidings. In 1985 there was once more a strike of the coal miners.[8] Wheldale colliery closed in October 1987. Equipment was salvaged, and then the site was then cleared, but the shafts were not filled. ## Coal-bed methane plant A methane capture plant was built to convert the methane gas from the old workings into electricity. This power station generates 10MW of power and provides electricity for about 8,000 homes.[9][10] At the time of closure, each shaft had a concrete landing between the Flockton and Middleton little seam insets. These landings needed to be removed because they were exuding low atmospheric pressure explosive quantities of methane gas, which was escaping from the old lower workings. The landings were removed with a Jetknife 2000 high-pressure water system with abrasive particles in the water. This was carried out using a robot-controlled machine while supervised by the engineers in the colliery offices via CCTV. The site was eventually restored to its original woodland, grassland and wetland state, with bridle and footpaths for recreational use.[11] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Moore2002_1-0)** Henry Moore (2002). [*Henry Moore-- Writings and Conversations*](https://books.google.com/books?id=pzqg4l-ce7oC&pg=PA265). University of California Press. pp. 265–. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-520-23161-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-520-23161-0). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** "The Wheldale Colliery Fire", Friday 8 January 1892, *Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser*, Greater Manchester, England. via the British Newspaper Archive. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** "Nearly a Year on Strike" *Yorkshire Evening Post* September 1903, West Yorkshire, England, Page 4. via British Newspaper Archives 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Wheldale Colliery Explosion - Castleford - 1923"](https://www.nmrs.org.uk/mines-map/accidents-disasters/yorkshire/wheldale-colliery-explosion-castleford-1923/). *nmrs.org.uk*. Retrieved 30 June 2020. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Wheldale Colliery"](https://www.nmrs.org.uk/mines-map/coal-mining-in-the-british-isles/yorkshire-coalfield/selby/wheldale-colliery/). *nmrs.org.uk*. Retrieved 30 June 2020. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Durham Mining Museum - Wheldale Colliery (UK)"](http://www.dmm.org.uk/colliery/w210.htm). *www.dmm.org.uk*. Retrieved 30 June 2020. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** "Miners' Strike Over", 12 December 1891, *Hartlepool Mail*, Durham, England, p. 8. via the British Newspaper Archives. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Symcox2011_8-0)** Jonathan Symcox (1 November 2011). [*The 1984/85 Miners Strike in Nottinghamshire*](https://books.google.com/books?id=jCOnks5WbWoC&pg=PA188). Casemate Publishers. pp. 188–. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-84563-144-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-84563-144-4). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Engineering Timelines - Wheldale Power Station"](http://www.engineering-timelines.com/scripts/engineeringItem.asp?id=1017). *www.engineering-timelines.com*. Retrieved 30 June 2020. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Maltby provides Alkane with a rich seam"](https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/business/maltby-provides-alkane-rich-seam-1822698). *The Yorkshire Post*. 11 March 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2020. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Fryston and Wheldale Collieries Remediation"](http://www.ceequal.com/case-studies/fryston-and-wheldale-collieries-remediation/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180129004542/http://www.ceequal.com/case-studies/fryston-and-wheldale-collieries-remediation/) 29 January 2018 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine). *CEEqual* ## External links - Keith Henson (30 July 2004). [*Foul Deeds and Suspicious Deaths in Pontefract and Castleford*](https://books.google.com/books?id=1mKKgVzITVUC&pg=PA90). Casemate Publishers. pp. 90–. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-903425-54-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-903425-54-1). - [Rail crash at Wheldale Colliery](http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/eventsummary.php?eventID=7323) - Nikolaus Pevsner (1967). [*Yorkshire: The West Riding*](https://books.google.com/books?id=Jhb2wnJHisMC&pg=PA159). Penguin Books. p. 159. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-14-071017-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-14-071017-5). 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 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Wheldale Colliery](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheldale_Colliery) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheldale_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.