Sovereign Colliery

Shafts
Nos. 1 & 2 Pits came into production late 1870s, No.1 being the coal winding and downcast. Initially sunk to the Bickershaw Seven Feet Mine at 559 feet, No.1 Pit was later deepened to 1948 feet 4 inches to reach the Arley Mine. No.2 Pit was upcast.
No.3 Pit, (downcast), coal winding was sunk during the later 1890s to the Arley Mine. (No.1 Pit subsequently became upcast).

Winding
No.1 Pit, twin cylinder horizontal engine 26 inches x 60 inches, 12 feet dia. parallel winding drum. Wooden headgear.
No.2 Pit, a small winding engine and a timber headgear with one rope pulley.
No.3 Pit, twin cylinder horizontal engine by the Haigh Foundry. 36 inches x 78 inches, reels for flat ropes, 15 feet diameter when bare. Cornish valves, steam at 60psi. (see notes for comments on this engine)

Pumping
Original pumping engine 40 inches x 12 feet with 15 inches pumps lifting from Bickershaw Seven Feet. Later electrically driven pumps – Two centrifugal (run and standby) at 397 yards pumping 10,000 gallons per day.
Two centrifugal pumps at lodgement at 193 yards, immediately below Bickershaw Seven Feet, run and standby, pumping 100,000 gallons per day.

Power
On site generation of electrical power and compressed air – no other details.

Ventilation
Guibal fan 40 feet x 15 feet, 200,000cfm., 35rpm., 1.6in. wg.
Duplicate horizontal engine 30 inches x 36 inches, installed 1878.
Stand-by fan, Guibal 18 feet x 7 feet, 105,000cfm.

Possibly above fans replaced 1901 by 18 feet x 7 feet Walker “Indestructible” fan. Cross-compound engine, 16 inches + 28 inches x 36 inches, cut-off slide valves on both cylinders, teak lagging, flywheel 15 feet dia., fan pulley 7 feet 6 inches dia., 7 – 1¾ inches ropes. Engine piped for separate working, condenser air pump driven by drag shaft from crankpin.

Coal Seams Intersected in No.1 Pit
Crumbouke, Brassey, Six Feet, Dirty Five Feet, Bickershaw Seven Feet, Hindley Green Yard, Hindley Green Four Feet, Hindley Green Five Feet (Trencherbone), King, Ravine (poor), Haigh Yard, Bone, Smith, Arley.

Output
Early 1920s, Approx. 150,000 tons per annum. 25,000 tons cut by chain coal cutters, 5000 tons cut by percussive (Siskol) machines.

Workforce
Immediately prior to closure, 301 underground, 85 surface.

CLOSURE – Abandoned 2nd December 1927. NOTES – Details of No.3 Pit winding engine per the late Donald Anderson.

Questions are:

1. Haigh Foundry gave up in 1884, some ten years or more before sinking of No.3 Pit commenced.
2. The engine design was old fashioned (e.g. flat ropes and low steam pressure) for the late 1890s.

 
Possible explanation is that WC&ICo. intended to sink No.3 Pit soon after completing Nos. 1 & 2 Pits but this was aborted for economic reasons. Engine may have been ordered and delivered but remained on WCICo. hands until the pit was eventually sunk during the 1890s.

Copyright © NMRS Records: G. Hayes Collection