Thanks to Paul Rodgers for the loan of this production brochure.
K6's which became SO6's was the last face at Thurcroft Colliery
The men in this top photo where on the last shift when production ceased at Thurcroft on the 6th December 1991
There is a very interesting Paper that Sean Burke and a colleague wrote, i have put it on the Link's page. Sean is an Ex Thurcroft Miner.
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The map below shows some of the underground workings at Thurcroft Colliery, it is not in exact scale but it shows the distances from the pit bottom which miners travelled underground to get at the coal. This coal face was about 3000 metres (1.8 mile) from the shafts.
In relation to the surface SO6’s coal face started roughly next to the road on Peak Lane and High Hooton Rd near the village of Hooton levitt (the face line was where the red line crosses over the word sandstone)
In relation to the surface SO6’s coal face started roughly next to the road on Peak Lane and High Hooton Rd near the village of Hooton levitt (the face line was where the red line crosses over the word sandstone)
Below is an expanded diagram of the Pit bottom area,the thick blue lines near No 1 shaft is where the Tubs carrying the Coal to the pit bottom would have run to the cages before the Skip winding was introduced. The Blue area's denote the Intake airways, and the Red the Reurn airways.
The photo above was possibly taken about 1980 the old lamp room and Underground Fitters cabin,can be seen, it is in front of the Upcast shaft (shonkey) with the sloping glass roof and the yellow glazing bars which are quite visible. There is also girder work around the upcast winding wheels with the flag pole on. The area between the old lamproom and the upcast was the designated area for the moblie Emergency Winder.The emergency mobile winder was a purpose built vehicle (truck) and was normally kept at the local Mines Rescue Station
On the 3rd September 1991 Thurcroft Colliery made Local and National News
A Man Riding Conveyor Belt in a 1 in 4 Drift started to gain Speed and Run out of Control
Reproduced from then Rotherham Advertiser.
Injured man being transported to Hospital.
Photo Below includes Stuart Plant talking to the Deputy Manager Mr Fletcher.
Below is a link to ITN Source, this is a web site that sells and distributes ITN material that has been broadcast on the T.V. at the time of the above Belt Accident on the Man Rider T.V. cameras were at the pit recording the incident and speaking to management, this clip is only part of what was shown on both ITV and Calendar News. we have tried to get a copy but have failed, as you will see the price of the clip is way above our heads as we have no monies for the web site and rely on people giving there photos / document, etc for free.
The two photo's below by kind permision of [rotherhamweb.co.uk]
Photo below very kindly sent in by Mr Harry Lockyer,
It shows Thurcroft Main under 18s ( Cowboys ). Rotherham and District Intermediate Cup Winners, 1955 / 56. Back,L-R, S. Lockyer, W. Platts. J. Ravenscroft. K. Platts. B. Ashmoor. D. Jones R. Seddon. B.Hamblett. G. Bell. I. Cooper. H. Garbutt, DSM.
Front Row. L to R, K. Bell. G. Bell. D. Bartholomew. B. Hall. S. TurneR.
Thanks to Sammy Turner for the correct name of the team and additional information.
It shows Thurcroft Main under 18s ( Cowboys ). Rotherham and District Intermediate Cup Winners, 1955 / 56. Back,L-R, S. Lockyer, W. Platts. J. Ravenscroft. K. Platts. B. Ashmoor. D. Jones R. Seddon. B.Hamblett. G. Bell. I. Cooper. H. Garbutt, DSM.
Front Row. L to R, K. Bell. G. Bell. D. Bartholomew. B. Hall. S. TurneR.
Thanks to Sammy Turner for the correct name of the team and additional information.
The photo below shows Thurcroft Colliery Football Team from the early 1960s. Left to Right, back row, Mr Brittain, M Skelton,
A Howis, Cis Bantock [?] F Mooty, G Young, R Plant, F Brockley, W Platts, R Seddon, W Taylor, B,Green, J Blackwell.
Front row Left to Right, J Thackerey, B Hall, N,Young, Mr Parker, D Hill, J Bettany, S Turner, J Lovely.
Photo taken at a presentation at Worksop. The four photo's below by kind permission of S Turner.
Two action shots from the above football team, Left Ron Seddon with goal keeper, Right Sam Turner kicking the foot ball,with what looks like Tom Finnie to his right.
The photo below shows Thurcroft Main Colliery Cricket Club, [T.M.C.C.C.] Winners of Doncaster & District League 1929
Back row [L--R] F Smith, J W Wood, W Truswell, H Leaning, J Holmes
[ Mid,] J B Burbidge [Sec], H Eggenton, H Briggs, R Pye, E C Edwards, H Orridge, H Cutts, G L Empson [Tres]
[Front,] F Metcalfe, W Mitchell, A Collins [ Capt] A King, J Crother, A Davis.
Below is a list of some of the Management that have worked at Thurcroft, the list is in no particular order and may not be complete.
Managers. Mr J B Piggin, Mr A Foster , Mr C Smith, Mr Davis, Mr Arblaster, Mr Cook, Mr Parker, Mr A Clarkson, Mr R Wilkins,
Mr A Uttley, Mr R Sherwood, Mr Tucker, Mr A Hartley
Dep Manager. Mr Weldon, Mr Timms, Mr Green. Mr Hartley, Mr Fletcher.
Und Manager. Mr O Fisher, Mr J Robinson, Mr E Bedson, Mr Scott, Mr Weldon, MrRowlett, Mr Glossop, Mr Donlon, Mr Unsworth,
Mr Newton, Mr J Reeves, Mr Jackson, Mr Nelson.
With thanks to H Lockyer for help with the above list.
Thurcroft Colliery. Manager. Undermanager Year. Workmen, Surface / Underground.
Mr A Foster. Mr J Robson 1938 259 1391
Mr C Smith Mr E Bedson 1945 238 1276
Mr Maurice Edwards OBE, Chaplin to Rothervale Colliery's, 1944 -- 1947.
Photo below of football team kindly sent in by Carl Plummer. Cup winning side of 1946/7,this is from the period when United Steel and Coal Company owned the mine just prior to Nationalisation. Back row Left to Right. Ted Wright, Albert Lambert,
Ronald Webb, Negger Moon, George Brown, Len Fish, Roy Hobson, Cyril Hammerton, Les Martin. Front Left to Right,
Jack Southall, Austin Morris, Ted Merry, Ernest Plummer, W Blackwell, Tommy Whittham, Boy in front, A Green.
The photo below is the same team as above with the inclusion of [In there Sunday Best ] Back row lef to right, A Skelton,
H Wright, A Whittam, [?] T Green snr, Second row G Rodda, G Shepherd, W Shepherd, F Lees, [?] K Tunicliff, H Webb.
Seated, L TO R, ? Green, T Green jnr, R Hill.
Photo from the Booklet [ Thurcroft Then & Now ] John Cullwick ] from the late 1960s we think.
This lovely photo below shows the pit in the background behind the Allotment Gardens taken from Steadfolds Lane Their are many Huts in the picture,some men kept Pigeons [and still do] others Chickens and a couple of Horses.The allotment owners were very proud of the produce they grew.
Mr Paul Bradbury [ex surface fitter] has kindly given the web site two work Ledgers, the ledgers are referred to as Last Date Books and date from 1st Jan 1916 through to end of 1925, and 1st Jan 1939 through to 1954. Most of the entries are one line such as Bearings refitted to engine, Compressors cleaned and oiled, etc. But there are some snippets of information that is very interesting for the web site,below are a few examples of records kept in the ledgers,also some of the hand writing is just wonderful to see although difficult to read.
April 1916, work was being carried out in the Brick works.
December 1916, The Steam Crane on the surface was having major work done to it.
The record below seems to show the Pit Head Baths were opened on May 20th1939,and the Canteen on September 9th 1944.
The three examples below show just how dangerous it was at that time to be working near the Pit Bank or Pit Bottom,first one comes from January 10th 1939, Second September 2nd till the 5th 1949, and the third from Febrary 16th 1953.
There is an entry for July 30th 1948 Started removing Air Raid Shelter at the Bus stand.
The news paper cutting below was very kindly sent in by Mr Brian Beeston. it's dated [ May 13 1983] not sure what publication it came from but would think it was a Local Paper or the Coal News.
The four safety lamps below are all of a type used at Thurcroft. Left is the Ringrose, next is the cap lamp worn by all men underground, Third is an oil lamp normally taken underground by a workman but could not be relighted once it went out, and on the right is what a Deputy or other official would take underground,this has a re lighter in the lamp and also samples of the air underground can be inserted directly in to the lamp by using a rubber bulb.
The Flame shapes and examples below were what the above two oil lamps could detect.
The lamps below were all used in Coal Mining.The two outside ones are Davis Darby,second left is a Wolf, second right is an Eccles type and in the centre is a Safety Torch. All but the Wolf have Flat Wicks.
Below is a photo of the Pit yard,the two men in front are Ernie Jones [on the left] and his brother,the Ford Consul / Zephyr, in the back ground might date the photo to the 1960s. Thanks to D Oxtoby for the photo. The two large chimneys in the back ground were knocked down in the late 1970s by company of Steeple Jacks called Harrison's, they had done similar work at other pit's in the area. A large hole was knocked in the base of each chimney with a chute to the inside base,the men knocked the chimney down brick by brick dropping all the bricks inside this let them slide outside via the chute were they were loaded and disposed of. The cost for knocking down each chimney in the 1970s, £170. Additional info from D Thorpe.
The photo below shows Members of Thurcroft Colliery Cricket team with family and friends on a social outing some time in the early 1960s. Among the men at the rear of the photo are, Joe Hudson, Mr Bennett, Mr Spivey, Richard Smith, Ernest Floyd, Malcolm Drewitt, Ken Smith, Stephen Winstanley, Reg Fish, Mr Eames, Mr Brockelhurst, Mick Higinson, Mr Hodgkinson. Women sat at front from left, [?] Margaret Orridge, Mrs Gale, Pat Gale, Mrs Eames, Joan Eames, Mrs fish, Mrs Orridge, Mrs Hewitt..
Men sat at front, Mr Gale, Mr Truswell, Mr Eames. Photo kindley sent in by Miss Pat Truswell.
Men sat at front, Mr Gale, Mr Truswell, Mr Eames. Photo kindley sent in by Miss Pat Truswell.
Photo below of the small Hunslet Steam Train that worked on the pit top at Thurcroft for many years hauling the wagons etc from one area to another. Many may remember the train driver Mr Len Maples, photo taken outside engine shed in 1967.
The photos below were very kindly sent in by David Painting, and show part of a Safety Exhibition that was built on the Pit Top in the late 1960s / early 70s
The exhibition had a dummy Coal Face and Roadway, and showed mock up's of possible accidents waiting to happen.
The exhibition had a dummy Coal Face and Roadway, and showed mock up's of possible accidents waiting to happen.
Two photos below shows a lot of the equipment that was needed in the Loader Gate and Face end. The Stage Loader can be seen left hand side,the Cables are being carried on a mono Rail. The Panzer Head end can be seen under the Ripping lip. Their is a Safety notice on the planks supporting the rip.
The left hand photo below shows a Trepaner Coal Cutting machine and the AFC (Armoured Flexible Conveyor) or Panzer as it was more commonly known, on the mock coal face. Photo on right shows the coal face equipped with a set of Gullick Hydraulic roof supports, used in the Park Gate seam.
The photo's below show the Annual Craftsman Social Evening at the Welfare Hall Thurcroft in the late 1960s
Below is the late Mr Ron Mathews ( Thurcroft Colliery Electrical Engineer ) With his Wife.
Below is the late Mr Ron Mathews ( Thurcroft Colliery Electrical Engineer ) With his Wife.
Below, Mr and Mrs Gordon Farmer. ( Dep Electrical Engineer )
Mr and Mrs Jinks Vernon. ( NUM )
Mr and Mrs Basil Gale.
Below. Mr and Mrs Ted Wright. ( Fire Officer ) Mr and Mrs Cyril Downing ( NUM )
Below, right hand side. Is the late Mr Albert Clarkson ( Thurcroft Colliery Manager ). and Mr C.Turner (Area Manager)
Both couples unknown
Below, Mr and Mrs Don Stocks.
Below Mr and Mrs Colin Thomlinson ( Electrical )
Mr and Mrs Johnny Jackson , Ventilation Officer, ( NACODS )
Mr and Mrs Arthur Nichols (Mechanical ) Mr and Mrs Lol Wilcox, ( Shift Charge Engineer )
Persons Below Not Known.