Orgreave Colliery
Encyclopedia
Orgreave Colliery was a coal mine situated adjacent to the main line of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
about 5 miles (8 km) south east of Sheffield. The colliery is within the parish of Orgreave
, from which it takes its name.
Just over a mile east in the Rother Valley below the village of Fence a colliery was commenced in 1842. This colliery was bought and the Fence Colliery Company founded in 1862. In 1870 this company acquired Orgreave from the Sorby family and in 1875 its Directors leased land in the area from the Duke of Norfolk
. In the same year the Fence Colliery Company was renamed Rother Vale Collieries
Limited, owning Orgreave and Fence collieries, later sinking a new colliery at Treeton
. Fence colliery was connected underground to Orgreave from 1887 and coal was drawn there from 1904.
Following the First World War Orgreave was acquired by the United Steel Companies
who used the coal obtained to supply the new Orgreave Coking and By Products plant. Metallurgical Coke was supplied from here to United Steel’s blast furnace plant at Scunthorpe
. From 1922 coke oven gas was supplied to the Sheffield Gas Company, this continuing until the advent of gas from below the North Sea
.
At nationalisation the mining and coking operations were split, the coal processing and chemicals interests stayed with United Steel Companies under their subsidiary, the United Coke & Chemical Company. The collieries at Orgreave and Treeton were linked underground and as well as the coking plant the coal drawn by these collieries was fed to the washery at Orgreave Coal Preparation Plant. Orgreave colliery closed in October 1981, the Coking Ovens in 1990.
In 1995, British Coal Opencast gained permission to restore the tip, which reputedly contained over 12 million tonnes of spoil, and make the land fit for rebuilding. This work included the recovery of coal, from the tip and sub-surface, by opencasting. On 30 November 2005, the last coal was removed from the Orgreave site, bringing an end to an era which began over 170 years before.
The River Rother
, dubbed one of the country’s most polluted, was re-routed over a stretch of almost ¾ mile and, in conjunction with the closure of the Coalite and Chemicals plant at Bolsover, cleaned – up. The area is now rich in wildlife.
, home to research and manufacturing organisations such as the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre with Boeing, Castings Technology International and TWI's Yorkshire Technology Centre.
A further 741 acres (300 ha) is under planning consideration for a new Waverley Community development. Plans include residential (4000 homes), office and commercial areas. The project aims to achieve zero carbon status and be an exemplar of sustainable development with 222 acre (0.89840292 km²) of green space including recreation areas with parkland, three lakes, reservoir, and woodland.
. In fact this was to become the only branch to be built. It left the main line, where exchange sidings were located, opposite Orgreaves Colliery signal box. The 's' was added in error by the M.S.& L.R. but was never corrected.
. One of these trains was involved in an accident
on the morning of 13 December 1926.
The train service was withdrawn in May 1932 when the River Rother
flooded and washed away parts of the three bridges which crossed it. All traffic was severed and a replacement bus service was introduced in place of the "Paddy Mail" which never returned. Sheffield Corporation began operating a regular service of "Pit Buses" along the main routes from the city centre.
Diesel Locomotives:
Builders:
Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
The Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway was formed by amalgamation in 1847. The MS&LR changed its name to the Great Central Railway in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension.-Origin:...
about 5 miles (8 km) south east of Sheffield. The colliery is within the parish of Orgreave
Orgreave, South Yorkshire
Orgreave is a village and civil parish in South Yorkshire, England.At the time of the 2001 census, the parish had a population of 761.Orgreave forms part of the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham; until 1974, it was part of the Rotherham Rural District, the town of Rotherham being to the...
, from which it takes its name.
History
The opening, by the Sorby family, of Dore House Colliery in 1820 saw the beginning of coal mining in the area around Orgreave. The first shaft of Orgreave Colliery itself being sunk in 1851.Just over a mile east in the Rother Valley below the village of Fence a colliery was commenced in 1842. This colliery was bought and the Fence Colliery Company founded in 1862. In 1870 this company acquired Orgreave from the Sorby family and in 1875 its Directors leased land in the area from the Duke of Norfolk
Duke of Norfolk
The Duke of Norfolk is the premier duke in the peerage of England, and also, as Earl of Arundel, the premier earl. The Duke of Norfolk is, moreover, the Earl Marshal and hereditary Marshal of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the...
. In the same year the Fence Colliery Company was renamed Rother Vale Collieries
Rother Vale Collieries
Rother Vale Collieries were a group of coal producing pits originally in the Rother Valley parishes of Treeton, Woodhouse and Orgreave, nowadays on the south east Sheffield / Rotherham boundary, in South Yorkshire, England...
Limited, owning Orgreave and Fence collieries, later sinking a new colliery at Treeton
Treeton Colliery
Treeton Colliery was a coal mine situated in the village of Treeton, near Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England.Work on the sinking of Treeton Colliery commenced, with all due ceremony, in October 1875...
. Fence colliery was connected underground to Orgreave from 1887 and coal was drawn there from 1904.
Following the First World War Orgreave was acquired by the United Steel Companies
United Steel Companies
The United Steel Companies were a steel making, engineering, coal mining and coal by-product group based in South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.-History:...
who used the coal obtained to supply the new Orgreave Coking and By Products plant. Metallurgical Coke was supplied from here to United Steel’s blast furnace plant at Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe
Scunthorpe is a town within North Lincolnshire, England. It is the administrative centre of the North Lincolnshire unitary authority, and had an estimated total resident population of 72,514 in 2010. A predominantly industrial town, Scunthorpe, the United Kingdom's largest steel processing centre,...
. From 1922 coke oven gas was supplied to the Sheffield Gas Company, this continuing until the advent of gas from below the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
.
At nationalisation the mining and coking operations were split, the coal processing and chemicals interests stayed with United Steel Companies under their subsidiary, the United Coke & Chemical Company. The collieries at Orgreave and Treeton were linked underground and as well as the coking plant the coal drawn by these collieries was fed to the washery at Orgreave Coal Preparation Plant. Orgreave colliery closed in October 1981, the Coking Ovens in 1990.
In 1995, British Coal Opencast gained permission to restore the tip, which reputedly contained over 12 million tonnes of spoil, and make the land fit for rebuilding. This work included the recovery of coal, from the tip and sub-surface, by opencasting. On 30 November 2005, the last coal was removed from the Orgreave site, bringing an end to an era which began over 170 years before.
The River Rother
River Rother, South Yorkshire
The River Rother is a river in the northern midlands of England, after which the town of Rotherham and the Rother Valley parliamentary constituency are named. It rises near Clay Cross in Derbyshire, and flows through the centre of Chesterfield, where it feeds the Chesterfield Canal...
, dubbed one of the country’s most polluted, was re-routed over a stretch of almost ¾ mile and, in conjunction with the closure of the Coalite and Chemicals plant at Bolsover, cleaned – up. The area is now rich in wildlife.
Redevelopment
100 acre (0.404686 km²) of the reclaimed site is now the Advanced Manufacturing ParkAdvanced Manufacturing Park
The Advanced Manufacturing Park is a manufacturing technology park on the Rotherham/Sheffield border in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, facing the Sheffield Business Park across the Parkway...
, home to research and manufacturing organisations such as the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre with Boeing, Castings Technology International and TWI's Yorkshire Technology Centre.
A further 741 acres (300 ha) is under planning consideration for a new Waverley Community development. Plans include residential (4000 homes), office and commercial areas. The project aims to achieve zero carbon status and be an exemplar of sustainable development with 222 acre (0.89840292 km²) of green space including recreation areas with parkland, three lakes, reservoir, and woodland.
Rail connections
The Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway's "Extension to London Act" not only contained details of the new main line but also five branch lines to serve collieries on the route, with one exception, that to Orgreave Colliery which was to be served from the M.S.& L.R. line about one mile (1.6 km) west of WoodhouseWoodhouse railway station
This station is in Woodhouse, Sheffield. It should not be confused with a station of similar name at Mansfield Woodhouse.Woodhouse railway station, formerly Woodhouse Junction, is a railway station serving the Woodhouse and Woodhouse Mill in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The station is ...
. In fact this was to become the only branch to be built. It left the main line, where exchange sidings were located, opposite Orgreaves Colliery signal box. The 's' was added in error by the M.S.& L.R. but was never corrected.
The Orgreave Paddy Mail
The colliery was served, at shift change times by workmen's trains, known as "Paddy Mails", which ran between Sheffield Victoria and Orgreave CollieryOrgreave Colliery platform
Orgreave Colliery platform was a workman's halt built to serve the miners working at Orgreave Colliery in South Yorkshire, England. These workmen's trains or "Paddy Mails" were operated between Sheffield Victoria and Treeton Colliery at shift change times being hauled along the main line to...
. One of these trains was involved in an accident
Orgreave Paddy Mail accident
The Orgreave Train Collision occurred on 13 December 1926 near Orgreaves Colliery signal box on the Great Central Railway line about 4½ miles east of Sheffield...
on the morning of 13 December 1926.
The train service was withdrawn in May 1932 when the River Rother
River Rother, South Yorkshire
The River Rother is a river in the northern midlands of England, after which the town of Rotherham and the Rother Valley parliamentary constituency are named. It rises near Clay Cross in Derbyshire, and flows through the centre of Chesterfield, where it feeds the Chesterfield Canal...
flooded and washed away parts of the three bridges which crossed it. All traffic was severed and a replacement bus service was introduced in place of the "Paddy Mail" which never returned. Sheffield Corporation began operating a regular service of "Pit Buses" along the main routes from the city centre.
Rolling stock
The Rothervale Collieries locomotives could be found working at Orgreave, Treeton and Thurcroft Collieries and were transferred as necessary. All the locomotives listed below, except those shown as being scrapped or being owned by United Coke and Chemicals, became the property of the National Coal Board on nationalisation.| No./Name | Wheel Arr. | Cyls. | Makers | Wks No. | Date Blt. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORGREAVE COLLIERY No.1 | 0-6-0ST | OC | HCR | 116 | 1872 | Returned to builders 1891 |
| ROTHERVALE No.0 | 0-6-0ST | IC | BP | 1830 | 1879 | ex-E&WJR No.1(4.1890). ROTHERVALE No.1 until 1929 |
| ROTHERVALE No.1 | 0-6-0ST | OC | YE | 2240 | 1929 | |
| ROTHERVALE No.2 | 0-6-0ST | OC | HCR | 170 | 1876 | Scrapped 1920 |
| ROTHERVALE No.2 | 0-6-0ST | OC | YE | 1921 | ||
| ROTHERVALE No.3 | 0-6-0ST | OC | HC | 376 | 1891 | |
| ROTHERVALE No.4 | 0-6-0ST | IC | HE | 410 | 1893 | |
| ROTHERVALE No.5 | 0-4-0ST | OC | MW | 794 | 1882 | ex-C.J.Willis / Scrapped 1912 |
| ROTHERVALE No.6 | 0-6-0ST | IC | HC | 565 | 1900 | |
| ROTHERVALE No.7 | 0-6-0ST | OC | YE | 1021 | 1909 | |
| ROTHERVALE No.8 | 0-6-0ST | OC | KS | 3075 | 1917 | ex-R.O.D. No.607/1919 |
| ROTHERVALE No.9 | 0-6-0ST | OC | AB | 1347 | 1918 | ex-Frodingham Iron Co. 1922 |
| No.10 HUNTSMAN | 0-6-0ST | OC | AB | 2010 | 1936 | ex-Tinsley Park Colliery Co. |
| No.11 | 0-6-0ST | IC | HE | 3134 | 1944 | |
| No.1 | 0-6-0ST | OC | YE | 2524 | 1953 | Owned by United Coke & |
| No.2 | 0-6-0ST | OC | YE | 2562 | 1954 | Chemicals for working at Orgreave Coke Ovens |
| No.5 | 0-6-0DE | YE | 2670 | 1958 | New to Stanton Ironworks (No50), Preserved at Nene Valley Railway. | |
Abbreviations
Cylinders:- IC: Inside Frames
- OC: Outside Frames.
Diesel Locomotives:
- DE:Diesel Electric
Builders:
- AB :Andrew Barclay & Sons Co.Andrew Barclay & Sons Co.Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. was a builder of steam and diesel locomotives, based in Kilmarnock, Scotland, that was founded in 1840 and is now owned by Wabtec Rail.- History :...
. - BP :Beyer Peacock & Co.
- HCR:Hudswell,Clarke & Rodgers
- HC :Hudswell ClarkeHudswell ClarkeHudswell, Clarke and Company Limited was an engineering and locomotive building company in Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-History:...
& Company - HE :Hunslet Engine CompanyHunslet Engine CompanyThe Hunslet Engine Company is a British locomotive-building company founded in 1864 at Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England by John Towlerton Leather, a civil engineering contractor, who appointed James Campbell as his Works Manager.In 1871, James Campbell bought the company for...
,Leeds. - KS :Kerr StuartKerr StuartKerr, Stuart and Company Ltd was a locomotive manufacturer from Stoke-on-Trent, England.-History:It was founded in 1881 by James Kerr as James Kerr & Company, and became Kerr, Stuart & Company from 1883 when John Stuart was taken on as a partner...
& Co. - MW :Manning WardleManning WardleManning Wardle was a steam locomotive manufacturer based in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.- Precursor companies :The city of Leeds was one of the earliest centres of locomotive building; Matthew Murray built the first commercially successful steam locomotive, Salamanca, in Holbeck, Leeds,...
& Co. - YE :Yorkshire Engine CompanyYorkshire Engine CompanyThe Yorkshire Engine Company was a small independent locomotive manufacturer in Sheffield, England. The Company was formed in 1865 and continued to produce locomotives and carry out general engineering work until 1965...
.