Methley Junction Explosion 1875
On Thursday, December 9th 1875 an explosion occurred in the mine workings belonging to Messrs. Henry Briggs, Son & Co. killing 5 men and 1 boy. (A brief report of … Continue Reading →
Category: Industry
Methley Junction Colliery
Benjamin Burnley commenced sinking the shafts in 1845 and the pit started to produce coal in 1851. In the early 1900’s severe flooding problems were experienced and as a result … Continue Reading →
Coal Mining Memorial
A crowd in excess of 250 people turned out to witness the dedication ceremony of a scuptured memorial to coal mining in the village of Methley. It was Saturday 24th … Continue Reading →
Shaft Incident 1929
Extraordinary Mining Accident Pontefract & Castleford Express 29th November 1929 Funeral of Mr A Parker Remarkable public sympathy was manifested at the funeral on Sunday of Mr Alfred Parker of … Continue Reading →
Savile Colliery – Stay Down Strike 1963
Tuesday 17th September 1963, the colliers on 8s face in the Savile Park seam (Beeston) had been involved in a deployment manning dispute where backshift preparation work attracted a reduced … Continue Reading →
Savile Colliery First Aid Practice
Practice, practice and practice again, words issued by many people but on this occasion by the avuncular Harry Fenwick Moore, Colliery Deputy, St Johns Ambulance Instructor to Savile Underofficials and … Continue Reading →
Savile Fire Fighting Competition
Immediate response, that’s what the training was for – this is a fire fighting capability at the pit. Hence the need to undertake ‘ in house ‘ training for the … Continue Reading →
Pit Holidays St Leger Week
During the 1950’s and 1960’s unless any major maintenance work dictated – the NUM Branch at Savile were invited to contribute to the decision on which 2 holiday weeks the pit … Continue Reading →
Pit Ponies Annual Holidays
They didn’t know it was the August holiday fortnight but they knew something was happening. The conveyors had stopped and yet handlers were in fixing halters and leads at 6.30 … Continue Reading →
Savile Colliery
The two 14ft. diameter shafts were sunk in 1874 to the Haigh Moor seam, 143 yards deep. The upcast shaft was deepened to the Beeston seam (known locally as the … Continue Reading →