Martholme Colliery
Copyright © Lancashire Telegraph
Sunk by the Exors of Richard Fort in the 1860s, the shafts reach the Upper Mountain Mine at 105 yards (96m) and the Lower Mountain Mine at 210 yards (192m).
The colliery was absorbed by the Great Harwood Coal Co. which closed it around 1890. The Altham Colliery Co purchased and reopened the mine in the 1892.In 1898 a subsidiary, the Great Harwood Colliery Co Ltd was formed and worked the mine until 1921. Following a 94 day strike, the colliery closed in 1922 due to severe flooding.
The Upper Mountain Mine was reopened on 1927 by a team of miners from Moorfield Colliery, but the poor quality of the coal forced closure in 1930.
From 1935 Hargreaves Collieries Ltd used it as a pumping station until it was nationalised. The NCB also used it for pumping, but closed it in 1949.
Further reading:
- Bond, B. 1984 “Martholme Pit, Great Harwood” British Mining No.25, NMRS, pp.31-37
- Nadin, J. 1999 Coal Mines Around Accrington and Blackburn (British Mining No.64, NMRS)
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