Moorland Collieries of North Yorkshire

The mining of coal locally appears to have begun somewhere around the year 1640 and was set to continue in some form or another for the next 250 years. It is difficult for many to imagine that the Moors of today were home to such an industry or that significant coal deposits even exist in the area. Most believe that the mounds seen on their Sunday walks are actually remnants of the ironstone mining industry so well publicised, or who view the dumps and filled shafts as shallow bell pits, but coal was mined on the moors and in the dales and on a considerable scale.
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The Jurassic Coals of the North York Moors area were primarily used for burning lime in kilns for agricultural purposes in order to neutralise the poor, acid rich, moorland soils. Many surplus supplies were sold to locals for fuel and for a period, local coal fired the calcining kilns at Rosedale. Though there is little historic information with regards many of these Collieries, significant contributions to research have been undertaken by Owen, Gill, Hartley, and unfunded local interest groups such as The Cleveland Mining History Society.

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Read the full paper here :- Moorland Collieries of North Yorkshire by Carl Thomas

Covers sites at Gilling East, Ankness, Castleton, Clitherbeck, Rosedale Head, Lealholme, Blakey, Little Blakey, Hermit Waith, Sledshoe, Lower Rudland, Bumper Pits/Ladhill Gill, Danby Head, Swinikal(Swinacle), Upper Rudland, Carr Cote, Weather Cote (Wether Cote), Harland Drift, Birdforth, Newburgh Park, Cloughton Wyke, Rigg Hall, Goathland, Armathwath Pit / Baysdale Head, High Moor, Nape How/Gnipe How, May Beck, Fryup, Boroby/Borrowby, Snilesworth, Glaisdale, Wintergill, Westerdale, Hamer, Hazel Head/Collier Gill, Piethorn, Oakley Walls, Swinestone Cliff, Commondale, Rigg Road Rosedale, Boars Gill, Birk Wath, Hartoft End, Julian Park