Transport

Prior to the arrival of the railway, all transport would have been by road. In 1741 the main alternative to the Great North road running via Nottingham to Rotherham and Barnsley passed through Pleasley. The 19th century Pleasley to Rotherham turnpike  branched off the Mansfield to Chesterfield road a few hundred yards to the north-east of the colliery which suggests that the main roads were of a good standard. 

Map showing roads before 1875 here

At the start of the sinking, the Back Lane access road from Newboundmill Lane was created to supplement the pre-existing Windmill Lane occupation road  running past the eastern side of the site which formed the main entrance to the colliery  from the nearby Mansfield to Chesterfield Road. Subsequently, a landsale wharfe was constructed at the end of Windmill Lane to serve the local area.

Maps showing Back Lane and Windmill Lane etc here

By 1875 the colliery had been reached by the Midland Railway Company’s excavations for the Tibshelf to Pleasley extension from  the Erewash Valley main line at Westhouses.

Map showing Midland Railway works in 1875 here

It was April 1877 when the line officially opened for mineral traffic ready to carry Pleasley coal up the ?? mile steady climb past Teversal to the watershed at 600 ft ready for the ?? mile  downhill run to the main line at ?? ft followed by ?? mile of easy going down the Erewash valley to the blast furnaces just South of Ilkeston.   

In 1887 the line was extended via Pleasley Vale to link up with the Midland Railway line at Mansfield Woodhouse giving Pleasley coal direct access to Mansfield itself and many new markets further towards the East coast.

In March 1898 the Great Northern Railway’s Lean Valley Extension opened for mineral traffic providing a second route to Stanton Ironworks  along the easy gradients through Skegby, Newstead and Hucknall to  Basford and then Kimberly.

Maps showing Great Northern Railway works in 1890 here