SALTERFORD No.1 DRIFT
This was the first of two National Coal Board drift mines which worked an area of Dandy Mine that was out oft he economical reach of the old Towneley Colliery. The drift was begun in 1948 and sloped inbye, at a gradient of 1 in 43, until it intercepted the seam after 300 yards. Water from the mine was pumped into the old Boggart Bridge Colliery using a mono pump working 12 hours per day and moving around 50 gallons a minute. The pumps were withdrawn in April 1957, after Salterford No.1 and No.2 pits were abandoned, and all the workings between the Brownside and Worsthorne Faults were allowed to flood. The water then overflowed into Boggart Bridge pit.
In 1951, however, the pit kept beating its production target.
“For the first time … Salterford Colliery last week produced over 2000 tons of coal in one week … [and] thus continued into 1951 the excellent performance by the miners … there which resulted them beating the ‘target’ in 42 weeks of last year, more often than any other pit in the North Western Division of the NCB.” Burnley Express, January 24th 1951
The workings at Salterford No.1 were of limited extent and work soon moved to Salterford No.2 pit. The colliery closed in April 1956.
SALTERFORD No.2 DRIFT
A second area of Dandy Mine was worked by this colliery some 650 metres south of No.1 Drift. It was developed during in 1953 to be ready for the first drift’s closure. Coal production at this drift ended in December 1959.
“Plans for new drift mine workings at Salterford are being drawn up by … the NCB which will extend the period of coal production for the area. The existing drift workings have a ‘useful life’ of about two years, and the new drift which will be driven from a point near Ormerod House, Higher Red Lees, will then mine a seam which cannot be worked.from the existing drift…. The new workings will be comparable to the existing ones, and it is anticipated that production will reach around 150 tons per day.” Burnley Express, October 10th 1953
Salterford No.2 closed in December 1959, and little now remains to show that coal was mined here, because the NCB landscaped the whole area.
Further reading:
- Nadin, J. 1997 The Coal Mines of East-Lancashire (British Mining No.58, NMRS)
- Williamson, I.A. 1999 “The Burnley Coalfield” British Mining No.63, NMRS, pp.5-27
