High Lane Colliery

High Lane Colliery was established by Joseph Wright after the closure of Norbury Colliery in 1892. I believe that Wright was at one time the Secretary of the Norbury Colliery for Messrs Clayton and Brooke. In 1907 the Great Central Railway granted Wright permission to drive an adit to the New (Accommodation) Seam from the bank of the High Lane Canal Branch. This ran under the cricket club and subsequently under the Buxton branch railway for which the LNWR gave permission for a heading 4ft square under its property.

Wright wasted no time in getting to work and these workings started production of coal on January 1st 1908. From Jan 1st to June 30th 1908 the output was 614t 19cwt 0qr @ 6d per ton royalty to the Legh estate at Lyme Hall = £15 17s 6d. He laid down a tramway from the mine entrance along teh towpath to the old abandoned Norbury Colliery canal branch and filled it with spoil from driving the tunnel. The mine closed in 1917 and Joseph Wright retired.

The photo shows the view from the towpath bridge over the canal branch. The remains of Wright's mine entrance can be seen just left of centre next to a leaning tree. The timber lintel over the entrance survives and can be clearly seen.