| Description | Caphouse Colliery. Now premises of National Museum of Coal Mining. At time of closure (October 1985), oldest working coal mine in Britain. Sunk in 1791, deepened and a second ventilation shaft sunk in 1876; connected underground with the adjacent Hope Pit (PRN 6684) in 1885 Hope Pit subsequently became the upcast shaft for the whole complex. The core of the site as extant is formed by the late 19th century pit head, still virtually intact and including engine house and winding engin 1876, associated boiler house, wooden headgear and heapsted building with intact coal breaker and screen. This is one of finest surviving examples nationally of a pit head complex of this date, and its association with later features such as the pithead baths and workshops which developed around the mine's 19th century core increases its interest. WYAS site visit in the first instance.
A field report held within the WYAAS archives provides further information on the Caphouse Colliery (probably committee report made in advance of the establishment of the Yorkshire Mining Museum in 1988). In the introduction of this report Caphouse Colliery is described as providing an opportunity for preserving the mine as a mining museum. The National Coal Mining Museum for England at Caphouse opened in 1988 as the Yorkshire Mining Museum and was granted national status in 1995 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Coal_Mining_Museum_for_England. Web site accessed 08/03/2013. Details unverified). Below is a summary of the report:
The Caphouse Colliery is first shown on a mining plan of 1791. The plan indicates the mine which worked the Flockton Thick Seam. The seam was worked from a number of shafts one of which is the present No.1 Shaft at Caphouse. It is believed that this shaft, though widened and deepened, is one of the oldest [working] coal mining shafts in the country. Coal from this seam continued to be worked until 1812.
After a period of disuse, the mining lease was purchased by James Milnes Executors by James Sir John Lister Keys in 1827. During the same year the adjacent Hope Pit [PRN 6684] was laid out by John Blenkinsop, manager of the Middleton Colliery near Leeds (and inventor of the first practicable steam locomotive). The Flockton Thin Seam continued to be worked. By 1851 the Old Hards Seam was developed and worked.
At first the coal was carried away on the newly improved Wakefield and Austerlands turnpike road. The turnpike tolls ranging from £55 to £85 a year were considered high and as a result it was decided in 1852 to connect both collieries and the Prince of Wales Colliery (now Denby Grange) to the nearest point on the Barnsley branch of the Lancashire Yorkshire Railway and the Calder and Hebble Navigation Canal both at Calder Grove, four and a half miles away. The new rail link, known as the'Sir John Line', continued in use until 1942.
In 1875 the Caphouse No.1 Shaft was deepened to its present depth to reach the New Hards Seam. The present [time unknown] wooden head gear and steam winding engine, made by Davy Bros. of Sheffield, were installed. The engine continued in use until after 1974 and is believed to be the only surviving Davy Bros. steam winding engine. The wooden headgear is of pitch pine, now braced with steel, and has its pulleys in line. It is mounted on sandstone. This is thought to be the last surviving headframe of this type.
At the heart of the surviving Caphouse Colliery were the distinguishable remains of a small scale family pit characteristic of the early stages of the industrial revolution with aspects possibly dating back to the late 18th century. In addition to the surving engine in purpose built engine house were two Lancashire boilers and two steam powered pumps used to supply 'house water'. |