Chatterly Whitfield Colliery Stoke

**Tassadar** · 28th July 2010, 17:47

Again while working in Stoke , inspired by other intrepid explorers, though i would check out Chatterly Whitfeild Colliery. I dint get up any of the headstocks due to the thunder and lightning and i got totally soaked cool

Mining started at Chatterley Whitfield less than 200 years ago. But the area is known for its coal since the 14th century, when the monks of the Hulton Abbey came to nearby Ridgeway, less than a kilometre to the east, where eight seams crop out. Around the 1850s several mines existed in the area and the first shafts had been lowered. Seams were mined underground. In 1854 the local coalmasters planned to build a railroad through Biddulph Valley to be able to transport the coal to the markets. This forced the North Staffordshire Railway Company to construct the branch, as they did not want a private railroad around. After its completion in 1860 mining boosted.
In 1867 two collieries were bought by a group of investors known as the Gentlemen of Tunstall, who founded the Whitfield Colliery Company Limited to work them. They modernized the mines, built new shafts and widened existing shafts. But after only a few years, in 1873, the company was bought by the Chatterley Iron Company Limited. They were owning blast furnaces, an oil distilling plant, and a mine for ironstone in the Chatterley Valley, but needed coal for the furnaces. They immediately started to develop the mine and its production.

Seems to be a lot of history allready here about the site... if you want a good infromative read go to Host report

1~Winstanley pit (1913)

2~Winstanley pit

3~Winstanley pit

4~ Not sure if this is Engine pit (1863); Middle pit (1863) or Institute Pit (1874)

5~ as above

6~ Platt pit (1883)

7~

8~

9~ Hesketh pit (1914).

10~

11~

12~ I work for these now

Odds and sods

13~

14~

15~

Archive photiographs and here more info too

Thanks for looking

**yamahapaul** · 28th July 2010, 18:16

I want to go here!

**Tassadar** · 28th July 2010, 20:19

Originally Posted by yamahapaul

I want to go here!

PM for easier access details

mayko · 31st July 2010, 07:58

It does look good!

**Tassadar** · 31st July 2010, 08:22

Stoke has a massive amount to offer, its a shame i only work there once in a while , the colliery was very nice , lots of buildings where very tight , but the head stocks where accessable with a littel stupidity , however i was climbing something big and metal in a thunderstorm

**oildrum** · 7th August 2010, 17:17

Pics 4 & 5 are of the Istitute Shaft Tassadar

**Tassadar** · 7th August 2010, 22:12

Thanks Oildrum...i couldnt work it out me self

**oildrum** · 8th August 2010, 11:56

If my info is correct, then the Institute was previously the Bellringer shaft which was being used by Hugh Henshall Williamson in the 1850's. Originally 79 yards deep (about 72m in new money) it was used for working the Bellringer seam. When the colliery was purchased by the Chatterley Iron Company Ltd in 1872, the Bellringer shaft was widened & deepened to 440 yards (402m). Whilst work was underway the North Staffordshire Institute of Mining Engineers visited & this was commemorated by re-maning the shaft the Institute.

**Tassadar** · 9th August 2010, 07:47

Awesome knowledge , do you have some connections with the Colliery?

**oildrum** · 9th August 2010, 07:58

Originally Posted by Tassadar

Awesome knowledge , do you have some connections with the Colliery?

Yes sort of (bit "political" at the moment!

), been involved with the friends group for a number of years & so amassed all sorts of info over that time.

Although there are numerous sources for the history of the place, there are still plenty of gaps & discrepencies in the information. Only a couple of years ago 3 more shafts were discovered on site

(1 at the side of the geology building, 1 in front of the lamp house & the other on the main car park!), they have been dealt with since.

Will sort out some pics from inside some of the buildings that used to be accessible, but are now "out of bounds" on H&S grounds

Nice pics by the way