Mines, mining and quarrying

Description in Welsh on the memorial at Landshipping Quay, Pembrokeshire.

Names, with ages, of those killed in the Landshipping colliery disaster. This small but poignant memorial overlooks the Landshipping Pill and Daugleddau River at Landshipping Quay, Pembrokeshire, Wales. The memorial was erected in honour of the 40 miners killed in Pembrokeshire's worst ever coal mining disaster on 14th February 1844, when the rising tide broke through into a mine roadway heading out from the Garden Pit under the estuary with very little depth of cover to the sea bed. There are several contemporary accounts of the disaster which vary somewhat in the details, and are summarised here: www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/Carm/Landshipping.htm www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/wales/posts/landshipping_mining_disas... Having worked underground in the coal mines of Yorkshire and South Wales, I find these stories especially moving. Even today, I feel there is an intense sadness about this place which still lingers, even on a bright sunny day. A memorial service for the lost miners (which included children and probably some women too) is held annually on St Valentine's Day at St Burnett's Hill Chapel nearby.

This is small but poignant memorial overlooks the Landshipping Pill and Daugleddau River at Landshipping Quay, Pembrokeshire, Wales. The memorial was erected in honour of the 40 miners killed in Pembrokeshire's worst ever coal mining disaster on 14th February 1844, when the rising tide broke through into a mine roadway heading out from the Garden Pit under the estuary with very little depth of cover to the sea bed. There are several contemporary accounts of the disaster which vary somewhat in the details, and are summarised here: www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/Carm/Landshipping.htm www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/wales/posts/landshipping_mining_disas... Having worked underground in the coal mines of Yorkshire and South Wales, I find these stories especially moving. Even today, I feel there is an intense sadness about this place which still lingers, even on a bright sunny day. A memorial service for the lost miners (which included children and probably some women too) is held annually on St Valentine's Day at St Burnett's Hill Chapel nearby.

This is a wide-angle view westwards over the Landshipping Pill and Daugleddau River at low tide from Landshipping Quay, Pembrokeshire, Wales. Close by here is a small but poignant memorial to the 40 miners killed in Pembrokeshire's worst ever coal mining disaster on 14th February 1844, when the rising tide broke through into a mine roadway heading out from the Garden Pit under the estuary with very little depth of cover to the sea bed. There are several contemporary accounts of the disaster which vary somewhat in the details, and are summarised here: www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/Carm/Landshipping.htm www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/wales/posts/landshipping_mining_disas... Having worked underground in the coal mines of Yorkshire and South Wales, I find these stories especially moving. Even today, I feel there is an intense sadness about this place which still lingers, even on a bright sunny day. A memorial service for the lost miners (which included children and probably some women too) is held annually on St Valentine's Day at St Burnett's Hill Chapel nearby.

Originally uploaded for the Guesswhere UK group. This is a view westwards over the Landshipping Pill and Daugleddau River at low tide from Landshipping Quay, Pembrokeshire, Wales. Close by here is a small but poignant memorial to the 40 miners killed in Pembrokeshire's worst ever coal mining disaster on 14th February 1844, when the rising tide broke through into a mine roadway heading out from the Garden Pit under the estuary with very little depth of cover to the sea bed. There are several contemporary accounts of the disaster which vary somewhat in the details, and are summarised here: www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/Carm/Landshipping.htm www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/wales/posts/landshipping_mining_disas... Having worked underground in the coal mines of Yorkshire and South Wales, I find these stories especially moving. Even today, I feel there is an intense sadness about this place which still lingers, even on a bright sunny day. A memorial service for the lost miners (which included children and probably some women too) is held annually on St Valentine's Day at St Burnett's Hill Chapel nearby.

This rather insignificant looking structure is the tail of Odin Sough (also known as Trickett Bridge Sough) in Castleton, Derbyshire. The sough drains water from the old Odin lead mine about 1.6 km away to the west. The mine worked lead ore from veins in the Carboniferous Limestone close to the junction with the overlying dark, pyritic Edale Shales, and the sough itself is driven in the latter for most of its length. It is the oxidation and solution of pyrite (iron sulphide) in the shales and its reprecipitation as ferric hydroxide which causes the orange colouring on the stream bed.

The orange staining on the stream bed is due to iron-rich water emerging from Odin Sough just to the left of centre. The sough drains water from the old Odin lead mine about 1.6 km away to the west. The mine worked lead ore from veins in the Carboniferous Limestone close to the junction with the overlying dark, pyritic Edale Shales, and the sough itself is driven in the latter for most of its length. It is the oxidation and solution of pyrite (iron sulphide) in the shales and its reprecipitation as ferric hydroxide which causes the orange colouring. The main stream on the right of the photo rises near Hollins Cross, and has no contact with mine workings. The circular culvert in the distance merely channels the stream beneath a farm entrance track. A closer view of the sough tail is here: www.ipernity.com/doc/earthwatcher/39023940

An old level into an abandoned slate mine, adjacent to the active Thrang Quarry, Chapel Stile in the English Lake District. The abandoned mine worked beautifully figured green slate - mostly waterlain volcanic tuff of the Seathwaite Fell Formation in the Borrowdale Volcanic Group (Ordovician).

Rusting mining equipment and a slate retaining wall in the side of an old level into an abandoned slate mine, adjacent to the active Thrang Quarry, Chapel Stile in the English Lake District. The abandoned mine worked beautifully figured green slate - mostly waterlain volcanic tuff of the Seathwaite Fell Formation in the Borrowdale Volcanic Group (Ordovician).

An old level into an abandoned slate mine, adjacent to the active Thrang Quarry, Chapel Stile in the English Lake District. The abandoned mine worked beautifully figured green slate - mostly waterlain volcanic tuff of the Seathwaite Fell Formation in the Borrowdale Volcanic Group (Ordovician).

The active slate quarry at Chapel Stile, Great Langdale, in the English Lake District. The quarry works beautifully figured green slate - mostly waterlain volcanic tuff of the Seathwaite Fell Formation in the Borrowdale Volcanic Group (Ordovician).

This is the Duckmanton Railway Cutting Site of Special Scientific Interest, near Chesterfield, north-east Derbyshire. In the lower part of the section is the Chavery Coal, overlain by shaly mudstones containing non-marine bivalves and ostracods. This exposure of the Chavery coal was worked (illegally) by desperate miners during the 1984-85 miners' strike. (Chris Darmon, pers. comm.) The railway cutting is a site of international geological importance, as it contains the stratotype section for the Anthracoceras vanderbeckei (Clay Cross) marine band which is the boundary between the Langsettian and Duckmantian Stages of the Carboniferous, informally the junction between the Lower and Middle Coal Measures. The site is managed by the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and is accessible by permit only. www.derbyshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/reserves/duckmanton-railway-cutting

A view of the strata exposed in the steel arch shelter in the Duckmanton Railway Cutting, near Chesterfield, north east Derbyshire. The Chavery Coal is visible in the lower left. This is overlain by shaly mudstones containing ironstone bands and nodules. Fossils in the roof mudstones include non-marine bivalves ( Anthracosia ) and and ostracods ( Geisina ). The railway cutting is a site of international geological importance, as it contains the stratotype section for the Anthracoceras vanderbeckei (Clay Cross) marine band which is the boundary between the Langsettian and Duckmantian Stages of the Carboniferous, informally the junction between the Lower and Middle Coal Measures. The site is managed by the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and is accessible by permit only. www.derbyshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/reserves/duckmanton-railway-cutting

Another view of the Duckmanton Railway Cutting Site of Special Scientific Interest, near Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The arch structure on the right is a shelter built to preserve and allow access to the the Chavery Coal and its overlying roof mudstones. The railway cutting is a site of international geological importance, as it contains the stratotype section for the Anthracoceras vanderbeckei (Clay Cross) marine band which is the boundary between the Langsettian and Duckmantian Stages of the Carboniferous, informally the junction between the Lower and Middle Coal Measures. The site is managed by the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and is accessible by permit only. www.derbyshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/reserves/duckmanton-railway-cutting

This is the Duckmanton Railway Cutting Site of Special Scientific Interest, near Chesterfield, north-east Derbyshire. The arch structure on the right is a shelter built to preserve and allow access to the the Chavery Coal and its overlying roof mudstones. The same coal seam is visible in the bank at the top of the steps on the left. This was worked (illegally) by desperate miners during the 1984-85 miners' strike. (Chris Darmon, pers. comm.) The railway cutting is a site of international geological importance, as it contains the stratotype section for the Anthracoceras vanderbeckei (Clay Cross) marine band which is the boundary between the Langsettian and Duckmantian Stages of the Carboniferous, informally the junction between the Lower and Middle Coal Measures. Camera viewpoint is approx. SK 4224 7037, looking westwards. The site is managed by the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and is accessible by permit only. www.derbyshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/reserves/duckmanton-railway-cutting

Evening light catches the heather and the Cioch Block (right) at the old millstone quarry at the south east end of the Burbage Valley in the Peak District National Park near Sheffield. This quarry is one of several in the locality which worked the Chatsworth Grit (or Rivelin Grit) for millstones and grindstones.

A boundary stone at Stanage End, the northern extremity of Stanage Edge. There is also quarry debris here. Stanage Edge is comprised of Rivelin Grit (aka Chatsworth Grit), Namurian age, Upper Carboniferous. The coarse-grained gritstone was deposited in a series of delta distributary channels. The gritstone is normally strongly cross-bedded. The illuminated face of the boundary stone has the letters 'WM' carved in it, presumably the landowner at the time (early 20th century?). If anyone knows the identity of WM, please post a comment below. The opposite face to the WM has the letters 'WW' carved in a similar fashion, and this presumably relates to the landowner William Wilson who owned much of the Hallam Moors to the east in the early 20th century and who was also responsible for the carving of the grouse drinking basins shown in earlier photos posted here.

The first main climbers' crag at Stanage End, probably an old quarry face. I'm sure it has a name. Anyone care to help out please? Stanage Edge is comprised of Rivelin Grit (aka Chatsworth Grit), Namurian age, Upper Carboniferous. The coarse-grained gritstone was deposited in a series of delta distributary channels. The gritstone is normally strongly cross-bedded, as seen here.