Pleasley Colliery seen from north of the Midland Railway in May 1901 during  the preparations for changing the North headstock. The hedgerow on the right marks the line of the old Windmill Lane and the photo is probably taken from its new diversion towards Chesterfield Road  (JST)

This section takes a look at the technical development of the colliery from its sinking to its closure. It is split into three main periods covering the 19th century, the first half of the 20th century and the second half up to the cessation of production. A brief look at the subsequent changes will also be given.

Sinking

The dates for the completion of sinking are confusing, with some sources giving 1873, some 1875 and others 1877, with the headstocks being installed as late as 1878.   The lease was signed in 1872 and if sinking started soon afterwards and the later dates are correct, it does seem to have taken rather a long time.

Records show that sinking was still in progress in 1875  since the accidental death of two sinkers in October of that year was reported by the Mines Inspector.  There is also a small entry in the sinking records for the North pit at a depth of only 128 yd which mentions someone with the initial “B” being killed.  One of the men killed was, in fact, called Brindley.

A later entry referring to a coal seam at 193 yd depth appears to state that this was found July 1st 1876. A subsequent entry gives a date of Jan 5th 1877 for a depth of 474 yd and  a date of Feb 9th when sinking was resumed at 508 yd - just 6 yd above the Top Hard seam at 514 yd. 

On the 16th of February 1877, an article appeared in the local newspaper announcing that on the previous day a seam of good coal had been reached at Pleasley at a depth of 514 yds. The date of 15th February was confirmed a week later in the Colliery Guardian's  weekly report for the Nottinghamshire area. It was not until two years later, however, - almost to the day - that another article in the local newspaper appeared announcing that the same seam had been reached in the second shaft on the 12th of February. This article also gave some interesting background detail on Pleasley Colliery, including the fact that sinking operations commenced in 1873

In March 1879, the Directors of the newly incorporated Stanton Ironworks Company Ltd. reported to the shareholders that sinking had been completed at Pleasley and that the development of the North pit could commence.  Twelve months later they were in a position to report that the opening out headings had been completed - indicating that the colliery was now ready for actual coal-getting to commence.

During the years whilst sinking was under way, the surface infrastructure had been completed, incorporating the most up to date and labour saving equipment. Workshops and offices had been constructed.  The old Windmill Lane had been upgraded to form the main access road for the colliery and a house and land-sale wharf had been built at its junction with the Chesterfield road.

Two fine houses for the “heads of departments” had been built near the pit yard and two rows of twenty workmen’s houses had been built on the back lane access road which later became known as Terrace Lane. A gas supply, piped from the Hollins’ Mills in nearby Pleasley Vale, had been installed at an early stage of the sinking and this would later serve to light Pleasley village itself.

19th Century

• 1860s
• 1870s
• 1880s
• 1890s

20th Century pre 1945

• 1900s
• 1910s
• 1920s
• 1930s
• 1940s

20th Century post 1945

• 1940s
• 1950s
• 1960s
• 1970s
• 1980s

20th Century post closure

• 1990s
• 2000s
 

         annual details of manpower and output

Sources :

• Mansfield and North Notts. Advertiser, 1877, 1879,  Mansfield Library
• Stanton Ironworks Co. Ltd. Minute Book, Derbyshire Records Office
• Mines Inspectors’ Reports 1870 - 1879,  North of England Mining Institute