Parkfield Colliery
Encyclopedia
Parkfield Colliery, near Pucklechurch
, South Gloucestershire
, was sunk in 1851 under the ownership of Handel Cossham
. Coal was reached in 1853. The shaft was 840ft deep, but only the upper series of coal veins were worked. These were the Hard, the Top, the Hollybush and Great veins. The quality of the coal mined was extremely good, and was used for gas manufacture and house coal.
Handel Cossham died in 1890 and the pit was put up for sale. (Along with other pits he owned at Deep Pit, South Pit and Speedwell.) It was purchased by Bristol United Collieries, owners of Dean Lane, Easton, Hanham, Pennywell Road and Whitehall collieries. They formed a new company to manage their assets called The Bedminster, Easton, Kingswood and Parkfield Collieries Ltd.
A survey of Parkfield Colliery at the time of sale noted that it had two horizontal direct-acting steam winding engines each with 28in cylinders, a 4ft stroke and a drum 15ft in diameter. These had been made by Teague & Chew of Cinderford
in the Forest of Dean
. There were two 38ft high headgears, each with 2 pulley wheels of 15ft diameter. Steam was provided by four Lancashire boilers which measured 27ft by 7ft. A ventilating fan measured 18ft by 7ft and was driven by a pair of horizontal engines which had 14in cylinders and a 16in stroke. A Cornish pumping engine
had a 54in cylinder and a 7ft stroke and was powered by two Lancashire boilers.
The pit had an endless haulage system comprising a beam engine
and two galvanized ropes, each 990ft in length. Underground there were 3 engines for haulage, 5250ft of single T-headed rails, 4350ft of bridge rails and 5400ft of tram bridge rails.
The 1896 'List of Mines worked under the Coal Mines Regulation Act', states that the colliery employed 292 people underground, and 49 on the surface. The manager was J.T. Onions and the under-manager was John Bullough.
In 1914 Parkfield was bought by Frank Beauchamp, owner of a number of collieries in the Radstock
area, and another company, the East Bristol Collieries Ltd. was formed.
By 1936 flooding was becoming problematic and, combined with increasing pumping costs and decreasing coal reserves, the pit became uneconomic. It closed on 15 August of that year.
Pucklechurch
Pucklechurch is a village in South Gloucestershire, England, United Kingdom.- Location :Pucklechurch is a historic village with an incredibly rich past, from the Bronze Age with its tumulus on Shortwood Hill, up to the siting of a barrage balloon depot in World War II...
, South Gloucestershire
South Gloucestershire
South Gloucestershire is a unitary district in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, in South West England.-History:The district was created in 1996, when the county of Avon was abolished, by the merger of former area of the districts of Kingswood and Northavon...
, was sunk in 1851 under the ownership of Handel Cossham
Handel Cossham
Handel Cossham was a British colliery owner, lay preacher and Liberal politician who was active in local government and sat in the House of Commons from 1885 to 1890.- Early life:...
. Coal was reached in 1853. The shaft was 840ft deep, but only the upper series of coal veins were worked. These were the Hard, the Top, the Hollybush and Great veins. The quality of the coal mined was extremely good, and was used for gas manufacture and house coal.
Handel Cossham died in 1890 and the pit was put up for sale. (Along with other pits he owned at Deep Pit, South Pit and Speedwell.) It was purchased by Bristol United Collieries, owners of Dean Lane, Easton, Hanham, Pennywell Road and Whitehall collieries. They formed a new company to manage their assets called The Bedminster, Easton, Kingswood and Parkfield Collieries Ltd.
A survey of Parkfield Colliery at the time of sale noted that it had two horizontal direct-acting steam winding engines each with 28in cylinders, a 4ft stroke and a drum 15ft in diameter. These had been made by Teague & Chew of Cinderford
Cinderford
Cinderford is a small town on the eastern fringe of the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, England. A population of 8,116 people is recorded in the 2001 census....
in the Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...
. There were two 38ft high headgears, each with 2 pulley wheels of 15ft diameter. Steam was provided by four Lancashire boilers which measured 27ft by 7ft. A ventilating fan measured 18ft by 7ft and was driven by a pair of horizontal engines which had 14in cylinders and a 16in stroke. A Cornish pumping engine
Cornish engine
A Cornish engine is a type of steam engine developed in Cornwall, England, mainly for pumping water from a mine. It is a form of beam engine that uses steam at a higher pressure than the earlier engines designed by James Watt...
had a 54in cylinder and a 7ft stroke and was powered by two Lancashire boilers.
The pit had an endless haulage system comprising a beam engine
Beam engine
A beam engine is a type of steam engine where a pivoted overhead beam is used to apply the force from a vertical piston to a vertical connecting rod. This configuration, with the engine directly driving a pump, was first used by Thomas Newcomen around 1705 to remove water from mines in Cornwall...
and two galvanized ropes, each 990ft in length. Underground there were 3 engines for haulage, 5250ft of single T-headed rails, 4350ft of bridge rails and 5400ft of tram bridge rails.
The 1896 'List of Mines worked under the Coal Mines Regulation Act', states that the colliery employed 292 people underground, and 49 on the surface. The manager was J.T. Onions and the under-manager was John Bullough.
In 1914 Parkfield was bought by Frank Beauchamp, owner of a number of collieries in the Radstock
Radstock
Radstock is a town in Somerset, England, south west of Bath, and north west of Frome. It is within the unitary authority of Bath and North East Somerset and had a population of 5,275 according to the 2001 Census...
area, and another company, the East Bristol Collieries Ltd. was formed.
By 1936 flooding was becoming problematic and, combined with increasing pumping costs and decreasing coal reserves, the pit became uneconomic. It closed on 15 August of that year.
External links
- The Parkfield Colliery, Puckleweb