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Report - - Chatterley Whitfield Colliery May 2020 | Mines and Quarries | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Chatterley Whitfield Colliery May 2020

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Alizan97&

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Chatterley Colliery

Chatterley Whitfield is a disused coal mine on the outskirts of Chell, near Stoke on Trent in Staffordshire. It is one of the most complete former collieries in Europe. As such it has been designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a host of buildings on the site have Listed Building status. In its heyday, Chatterley Whitfield was one of the most productive sites in the country, and in 1937 was the first colliery to produce over one million tons of coal in a year.

Chatterley Whitfield, is situated on the North Staffordshire Coalfield, where evidence suggests coal was first extracted in the fourteenth century, and the first records of mining activity date from the 1750s. By the 1800s a colliery had started to develop with a number of shafts being sank. A great deal of expansion took place during the 1850s and 1860s.

The colliery suffered badly during the recession of the late 1920s and early 1930s, but as the economy recovered in the years leading up to the Second World War, over £300,000 was invested in new plant, workshops and railway equipment, leading to record-breaking years in 1937-9. In the aftermath of the Second World War, the coal industry was nationalised, and the colliery saw significant modernisation.

In 1974 it was decided that Whitfield coal could be more easily worked from Wolstanton Colliery and an underground roadway was driven to join the two pits. Chatterley Whitfield ceased production on 25th March 1977.

In 1979 the site re-opened as the Chatterley Whitfield Mining Museum, with access to the underground workings via the Winstanley Shaft. Many of the surface buildings were renovated and machinery was restored in its original working condition to show in great realism the life and working conditions of local miners. At it’s peak, it attracted 70,000 visitors a year.

In May 1986, the nearby Wolstanton colliery was closed, from where water was pumped out of the workings. This lead to fears that the underground mining experience at Chatterley Whitfield would flood and there would be a build up of gas. A new experience was constructed using shallow workings and a railway cutting. This enabled underground tours to continue until the museum was put into liquidation in 1993 and subsequently closed on 9th August that year.
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Brydog

28DL Member
28DL Member
Mega write up! Enjoyed that.

Wanderingmellon and I had a good explore here a couple of years ago with our late-great mate. Such a fascinating site! We went during the evening and the light faded fast; the inevitable dark virtually eliminated our chances of locating the way in to the show mine although we searched our best regardless.

Nevertheless, all was not lost as we climbed to the top of a pit head and we also did found our way into a winding house. I felt like I saw so much and yet also didn’t see half of it!
One of the best things I regret not photographing was of a large drum of grease in a winding house. When we moved the lid revealed the deep finger marks of the last chap to cop some out, perhaps to slap it on the cable! I also remember a shanty owd cabinet in there made from bits-of-anything wood. It had old boots and overalls in it still. The overalls didn’t have one button sewn on the same. All odd. Love it.

I’m sure we’ll go again and with better luck, perhaps find the ‘show mine’. Not looking forward to those 9’ spikey boy fences and dodging the CCTV however... worth it nonetheless!!

here’s a few pics - all within the winding house.

Number 2 is my tub of grease.. with the lid on.

Last one is a rectangular vessel full of oil that a few crows ended up getting stuck in. Quite bizarre! ‘Poor buggers.

535D4723-B16D-45C1-8226-3FC220278C68.jpeg


D63E50FB-D179-441D-A7C8-1619CF8DD5ED.jpeg


D19771D3-DD19-4265-B883-41D2A7FB34B9.jpeg


DC4FD379-191F-4E95-9E17-BC227CB1CBBF.jpeg


BDA4EDA1-311E-4F63-997A-56F4C12DE32E.jpeg


B027D798-9A76-4AA1-8DB5-993CF74A3DDB.jpeg


Brydog
 
Last edited:

The Amateur Wanderer

28DL Regular User
Regular User
Mega write up! Enjoyed that.

Wanderingmellon and I had a good explore here a couple of years ago with our late-great mate. Such a fascinating site! We went during the evening and the light faded fast; the inevitable dark virtually eliminated our chances of locating the way in to the show mine although we searched our best regardless.

Nevertheless, all was not lost as we climbed to the top of a pit head and we also did found our way into a winding house. I felt like I saw so much and yet also didn’t see half of it!
One of the best things I regret not photographing was of a large drum of grease in a winding house. When we moved the lid revealed the deep finger marks of the last chap to cop some out, perhaps to slap it on the cable! I also remember a shanty owd cabinet in there made from bits-of-anything wood. It had old boots and overalls in it still. The overalls didn’t have one button sewn on the same. All odd. Love it.

I’m sure we’ll go again and with better luck, perhaps find the ‘show mine’. Not looking forward to those 9’ spikey boy fences and dodging the CCTV however... worth it nonetheless!!

here’s a few pics - all within the winding house.

Number 2 is my tub of grease.. with the lid on.

Last one is a rectangular vessel full of oil that a few crows ended up getting stuck in. Quite bizarre! ‘Poor buggers.

535D4723-B16D-45C1-8226-3FC220278C68.jpeg


D63E50FB-D179-441D-A7C8-1619CF8DD5ED.jpeg


D19771D3-DD19-4265-B883-41D2A7FB34B9.jpeg


DC4FD379-191F-4E95-9E17-BC227CB1CBBF.jpeg


BDA4EDA1-311E-4F63-997A-56F4C12DE32E.jpeg


B027D798-9A76-4AA1-8DB5-993CF74A3DDB.jpeg


Brydog

Nice, which engine house did you end up in? Do you know? I've done Hesketh, Wistanley, undergeound one and Institute but I don't recognise these switches at all... Would love a look in Platt.
 

Brydog

28DL Member
28DL Member
Nice, which engine house did you end up in? Do you know? I've done Hesketh, Wistanley, undergeound one and Institute but I don't recognise these switches at all... Would love a look in Platt.

Hi mate!
I’m not totally sure of the name of it to be honest. Like I said it was dark when we were there and it was our first time. We just wandered about trying to find anything.
I’ve attached a screenshot for Google Maps. It’s was square building. We climbed atop the pit head gear adjacent too. P.S. just look at the perspective of the big chimney from above! Awesome

897769
 
Last edited by a moderator:

The Amateur Wanderer

28DL Regular User
Regular User
Hi mate!
I’m not totally sure of the name of it to be honest. Like I said it was dark when we were there and it was our first time. We just wandered about trying to find anything.
I’ve attached a screenshot for Google Maps. It’s was square building. We climbed atop the pit head gear adjacent too. P.S. just look at the perspective of the big chimney from above! Awesome

Ah yeah that's the Institute winder, must have missed the greese tub! Cheers man
 

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