Pick your own

Cheshire is not widely known as a mining county but there is plenty of coal along the eastern fringe. This has been mined extensively and often on quite a large scale at places such as Poynton and Norbury. Coal seams can be found on the surface if you know where to look; this is the Gees or Silver seam in the bank of the Norbury Brook. It comprises about four feet of coal in three bands interspersed with shales and fireclay. Although the outcrop here is rather weathered, the coal still burns very nicely. :-)