Announcement Date: April 22, 2017
SURFACE – After our recent AGM at Cliviger Village Hall. Sixteen members joined me on an archaeological field trip to the former Dyneley and Cuckoo colliery sites in Cliviger. The weather was glorious sunshine, a perfect day for digging up the past. Both of these collieries are situated just of the A671 Burnley to Bacup Rd.
Dyneley Colliery, was opened by the Townley Coal Company in the late 1800s. It mined the Upper Mountain Seam and was closed in 1947 prior to Nationalization. Although being opened by the Townleys it was sold to and operated by the Deerplay Colliery Company for most of its life.
In 1984 the mine was reopened by a private venture called Teak Flow Ltd. They drove a new drift into the remaining pillars of coal in the Upper Mountain Seam. This was soon abandoned due to geological problems and inexperience.
They then reopened the original drift entrance with the intention of extending it down into the rich Union seam below. However due to lack of experience and financial constraints the whole project was abandoned in 1987.
The rest of the report, including Cuckoo Pit and Dyneley, together with more photographs, can be found in the August 2017 newsletter.
