Sheffield Independent – Wednesday 24 November 1937

Wartime Shaft To Be Used

Opening Beamshaw Seam at Darfield Main

A shaft sunk at Wombwell during the Great War at a cost of hundreds of thousands of pounds, from which not a single cobble of coal has yet been drawn, will be used for coal for the first time next month.

Hitherto the shaft has the news only for drawing miners employed at Darfield Main, where important developments are taking place, and Mitchell Main.

It is the Intention the owners, the Mitchell Main Colliery Company limited to open the seam at Darfield Main and to work it extensively.

Surface equipment and winding gear have already been fitted and the lifting of coal from the seam will start at once.

The seam was proved at Darfield Main some 15 years azo. It lies a little above the famous Barnsley seam, now practically worked out in the Wombwell area. The Beamshaw seam is approximalelv 2ft 6ins thick and of uniformly good quality, favoured particularly as the house coal. It is also worked at Wombwell Main Colliery. Owing the relative thinness of the seam it can only he worked on the fan and conveyor system.

Great Things Expected

An official of the colliery told me to-day that great things were expected of the seam. Only a few extra men would be required at the outset, but more labour would taken on as the work developed. It is expected that this scheme will give a new lease of life to Darfield Main Colliery, which has been yielding coal without a break for least 75 years and is one of the oldest mines in the district

Tha Mitchell Main Company are also putting down new coke ovens which are expected to be in full operation in about three months’ time. Mr H Hallsworth, chairman of the Wombwell U.D.C. stated recently that there was a very bright prospect for the coal trade that Wombwell and that 1938 should be a very good year for the district.