Below 1996.2
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B E L O W ! Quarterly Journal of the Shropshire Caving & Mining Club Summer Issue No: 96.2 Jack Haseley minor things that others might miss, like Moore, Mike Clough, Alan Taylor and the peg still driven into the side of his I represented the Club at his funeral at 1913-1996 drive to mark the route of the pre-war Church Aston six days later. We were In September 1964, when Shropshire Newport by-pass which would have pleased to - his like is rare to find today. Mining Club members turned up at their taken his cottage. When we completed ‘new’ overgrown Clubhouse armed with the survey of Llanymynech Ogof it was I have decided that the second edition all the tools they could muster and a time to start the next project, on the of Account No.7 “The Church Aston & Whitlock digger, the neighbours looked suggestion of the editor of the Newport Lilleshall Mines” should have a on with increasing concern. When we Advertiser I began the survey of the dedication to him which I have worded told them that we wished to use the local mines of Church Aston & Lilleshall as follows:- cottage exactly as it was and not to alter - a task which 30 years later still occupies This Second Edition is dedicated to the memory of it in any way they began to relax and me today. Jack was in from the start, Jack Haseley 1913-1996 bricklayer, stonemason, soldier, advisor, friend, offer advice. leading me to all the strange places he Honoury Member of the Shropshire Caving & Mining Club who with his local knowledge and enthusiasm had known from his youth and which helped so much to produce the first detailed work Mr.Haseley began to take an increasing with our combined knowledge we were on these mines and canals between 1960 and 1970 and who regrettably was never able to study interest in our works and the doings of able to piece together into the first and discuss the much greater knowledge gained our Club. He had been a master comprehensive survey. He helped me since and reproduced herein. bricklayer, stonemason, and general plumb the shafts and hauled our rubber David R.Adams craftsman, his knowledge of building, dingy across the pools while I did the Founder Member and the proper treatment of thatch was soundings. He deserved in every way considerable. Both I and the Club had to be my co-author in the work. found a friend. Once it was published and our Constitution Changes With any advice we needed on the emphasis moved elsewhere we met a A couple of changes are proposed to Clubhouse Jack was always there. One little less, but we made him the first the Club Constitution for ratification at day after a weekend when we had been Honoury member of the Club, Mike the AGM: burning huge logs on the fire the James and then Mike Moore 1. The reference to the monthly chimney, filled with old crow’s nests, maintaining contact. Unfortunately in meeting be changed to read “...meet was found to be well alight. It was Jack the late seventies our Clubhouse usually on the first Friday of the who attended to it and calmed our fears. became neglected and a source of month.” So if necessary we can avoid When we had mice he produced a much concern, eventually following Bank Holidays. remarkable trap, which must have been the death of the owner we lost it. Jack 150 years old. Our maintenance was not however never lost interest in the Club 2. It has been suggested that always of the best and he often mowed and was pleased to attend our Annual Probationary Membership be the grass, and even tidied the interior. Dinner in 1992, shortly afterwards he dropped and new members be In short he often went beyond the call had a stroke and lost all means of allowed to join as Full Members. of duty and was an elder friend to us all. communication. When I visited this old Such new members would not be We became much indebted to him and friend in the nursing home he could allowed to vote for 6 months and it was a Club rule that he should not be only cry, but I am sure he recognised me would only attend simple trips until forgotten at Christmas. and was thinking of times past. they have been through a training programme. He was a compendium of local After three years he quietly passed knowledge and loved to point out the away on 10th MAy aged 83. Mike Comments to Adrian Pearce asap. “Below” 96.2 1 News Round-Up 1 by Ivor Brown Tankerville Chapel Shropshire Engine Shares For Sale Attempts have recently been made to It is expected that work will commence B.R.Moore & Co. (Tel: Borth 871795), determine whether there was a chapel soon on the restoration of the 1902 antiquarian Share and Book Dealers or Methodist Meeting Place at winding engine built by the Lilleshall have recently been offering a collection Tankerville Mine. Suggestions have Co. (Shropshire) for Pleasley Colliery of mining share certificates, one was for been put forward that there were (Derbyshire). The engine is to form a Roman Gravel’s Mining Co. 1871. It is services held in the “Clubroom” and centrepiece for a major heritage centre unusual to see Shropshire certificates the “Blacksmiths Shop” at the mine. project, supported by PDMHS, English for sale. Also there was a West Tankerville Heritage and local Councils etc. Chapel in 1879 but this could well have Mining Museums been in the Hope Valley, where several Disaster Talk mines worked under this name at various IJB has recently visited 3 mining times. On 13th March 1995, IJB gave repeat museums of interest: [For more on this topic see the letter on talks on the Snailbeach Disaster in page 8 from Andy Cuckson] Shrewsbury, exactly 101 years 1 week 1) Black Country Museum, the to the day (Wed. 6th March 1895) of the limestone mine tour by canal is quite Israel Underground accident and exactly 101 years to the spectacular, and also the mock-up day (Wed. 13th March) of the inquest. of the Thick-Coal Seam workings. IJB has recently been in Israel. No past About 60 attended. By special arrangement it is possible or present mines were found in to go down a real coal shaft (30ft.) northern Israel, but there are many The next talk is to the Black Country and enter original workings. caves, grotto’s, cisterns and ancient Geological Society at Ward Arms Hotel, water tunnels (all mostly in limestone). Dudley, 8pm, Monday 7th Oct. 1996. 2) Cannock Chase Mining Heritage In the south the ancient Timna Copper The subject is Limestone Mining in Centre, The Valley Pit, Hednesford. Mines are now part of a Country Park Shropshire. Some of the old colliery buildings and an important tourist attraction. remain and now include exhibits. Wanted Book Underground trips are not yet Rossington Colliery available but there are some training The Life of Richard Weaver, as This Yorkshire mine is one of Budges’ galleries yet to be re-opened. 4 leased mines, as distinct from the 17 mentioned on p2 of the Spring issue of ‘Below’. MDCCCLXI does not mean purchased mines. Rossington was re- 3) Florence Ironstone Mine, 1856 but 1861. Sorry! opened and re-equipped by Budge in Egremont, Cumbria. Still working 1994 and now employs 320 men, during the week, tourist trips at The original B.C.G.Soc. was founded in producing nearly 1 million tons of coal weekends. The mine will remain 1842 and took a great deal of interest in per year. Shortly before BC closed it, open until Sellafield Power Station Shropshire - many mining celebrities 1,000 men produced the same amount. find an alternative supply of water. The workings are over ½ mile deep, and from Shropshire contributed to their reached by a 5 mile ‘paddy’ train, then research and excursions. 1½ mile walk - it takes about 1 hour at Query each end of shift. Coal Merchants “Blast from colliery explosion kills Shropshire children” J.A.Smallshaw, formerly small mine 1864 Geo. Atlas owners near Dawley, now Coal About 1900 there was a family named In 1864 Reynolds Geological Atlas gave Merchants, have started to import coal Frost who lived at “No.1 Turners Row” the following information:- The to Shropshire, via Gobowen Sidings. in New Dale (Telford). The explosives Coalbrookdale Coalfield is rich in iron The coal is coming by the train-load - for the local pits were stored in their ore, blende, petroleum and fireclay - it is the last one, 350 tons came form Selby cellar. There were 5 children in the family 28 square miles in area and contains a Coal International Journal, Jan. ’96 thickness of 27ft of coal in 1,200ft. of and one day, while they were playing strata. It produces 800,000 tons per with matches in the cellar, there was an annum and at this rate has a future life Lilleshall Finished explosion. It is said that four of them of 20 years. Slight miscalculation Contractors working on Lilleshall were killed. somewhere, also where was the Limestone Mine stabilisation expect to “blende”? finish in May 1996. They are now making Does anyone know the actual date and The foremost areas for the production safe a number of mine shafts. It is location of the accident? of petroleum or mineral oil from coal reported that the water filled old measures and shale are given as workings were found to be much more Derbyshire, Coalbrookdale and near extensive then anticipated.