Rotherham Main Colliery
Encyclopedia
Rotherham Main Colliery was situated in Canklow
, about 2 miles (3 km) south of the town in the Rother Valley
. The area was the site of an ancient crossing of the river set below the crag
on which were Canklow Woods, an ancient woodland area.
ovens and by-products plant were Sheffield-based steel makers John Brown and Company who also built houses for their workers and a school for the children of the colliers.
An accident occurred in 1891 when 8 miners fell 60 feet (18.3 m) from their wooden platform.
The colliery had problems, the area was prone to flooding but prior to World War I
it employed around 2,000 miners. Following the General Strike
in 1926 the colliery was virtually closed and needed just 300 employees to maintain it.
The colliery closed in 1954 and nowadays there are no signs of its existence, the last of what did remain being swept away under a road scheme which followed the Rother Valley linking the town's relief road to the M1 via Rother Way to Junction 33.
at a junction known as "Rotherham Main", situated about 0.75 miles (1.2 km) on the Sheffield side of Rotherham Central
.
This branch line was also the subject of an agreement between the Great Central Railway Company
and steel makers Steel, Peech and Tozer
giving access to the steel company's locomotives and wagons across the main line tracks and to tip furnace waste (slag etc) on land adjacent to the line.
Canklow
Canklow is a suburb of Rotherham, England on the Sheffield/Rotherham border. It is about 0.9 miles south of the town of Rotherham and 5.2 miles north-east of the City of Sheffield....
, about 2 miles (3 km) south of the town in the Rother Valley
River Rother, South Yorkshire
The River Rother is a river in the northern midlands of England, after which the town of Rotherham and the Rother Valley parliamentary constituency are named. It rises near Clay Cross in Derbyshire, and flows through the centre of Chesterfield, where it feeds the Chesterfield Canal...
. The area was the site of an ancient crossing of the river set below the crag
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
on which were Canklow Woods, an ancient woodland area.
History
The first shaft was commenced in 1890 with the pit going into production in 1894. The owners of the colliery and later the cokeCoke (fuel)
Coke is the solid carbonaceous material derived from destructive distillation of low-ash, low-sulfur bituminous coal. Cokes from coal are grey, hard, and porous. While coke can be formed naturally, the commonly used form is man-made.- History :...
ovens and by-products plant were Sheffield-based steel makers John Brown and Company who also built houses for their workers and a school for the children of the colliers.
An accident occurred in 1891 when 8 miners fell 60 feet (18.3 m) from their wooden platform.
The colliery had problems, the area was prone to flooding but prior to World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
it employed around 2,000 miners. Following the General Strike
General strike
A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...
in 1926 the colliery was virtually closed and needed just 300 employees to maintain it.
The colliery closed in 1954 and nowadays there are no signs of its existence, the last of what did remain being swept away under a road scheme which followed the Rother Valley linking the town's relief road to the M1 via Rother Way to Junction 33.
The Railway Connection
The colliery was linked to the main railway network by a branch line from the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire RailwayManchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
The Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway was formed by amalgamation in 1847. The MS&LR changed its name to the Great Central Railway in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension.-Origin:...
at a junction known as "Rotherham Main", situated about 0.75 miles (1.2 km) on the Sheffield side of Rotherham Central
Rotherham Central railway station
Rotherham Central railway station is in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. The station was originally named "Rotherham", becoming "Rotherham and Masborough" in January 1889 and finally "Rotherham Central" on 25 September 1950...
.
This branch line was also the subject of an agreement between the Great Central Railway Company
Great Central Railway
The Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
and steel makers Steel, Peech and Tozer
Steel, Peech and Tozer
Steel, Peech and Tozer was a large steel maker with works situated at Ickles and Templeborough, in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England.- History :...
giving access to the steel company's locomotives and wagons across the main line tracks and to tip furnace waste (slag etc) on land adjacent to the line.