This post is part of a series called Somerset Coal Miners
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- High Littleton
- Paulton
- Midsomer Norton – High Street
- Midsomer Norton
- Midsomer Norton Station
- Haydon
- Radstock
- Chilcompton
- Westfield
- Camerton
- Clandown
- Coleford – Coal Barton
- Coleford – Mackintosh
- Holcombe
- Old Mills
- Writhlington
- Timsbury
- Somerset Coal Mining – History!
- Paulton Basin
- Farrington Gurney
- Tunley
- Westfield Old Pit Road
- Newton St Loe
- Clandown
- Brandy Bottom
About This Location:
- The earliest mention of Norton Hill Old Pit is in 1839, the shafts being sunk in 1846, it was situated close to the Radstock to Shepton Mallet road.
- The colliery had two shafts of 4 feet 6 inch diameter and 1,247 feet deep.
- Frank Beauchamp bought the site around 1896, the first job was the installation of a water pumping engine.
- It was not intended the colliery should resume commercial production, instead a new shaft was to be sunk around 500 yards away after which the old shafts would only be used for ventilation and emergency.
- Sinking of the new Norton Hill shaft was around 1900 finished in 1903, diameter 13 feet in diameter with a depth of 1,503 feet.
- On Thursday 10pm April 9th 1908, 10 men were killed by a coal dust explosion underground.
- The original wooden headgear was replaced in the 1930s by a steel one from the closed Dunkerton pit.
- In December 1939 a connection was made underground to the deep shaft at Old Welton Pit, this shaft being reopened for ventilation and emergency use.
- Through the 1930s Norton Hill was the largest producer of coal in Somerset with an annual output of over 125,000 tons.
- After modernisation in 1948 by the NCB the work force was increased to 830.
- New pithead baths and medical centre opened in January 1951.
- 1953 the steam winding engine was replaced with an electric 640 Horse power engine.
- In 1960 electric winding engines were fitted to Old Pit and Old Welton pits.
- Output was limited because of the main haulage incline, 840 yards long against a gradient of 1 in 4.
- To overcome this in 1963 a 36 inch wide conveyor was installed in the incline.
- It was installed over the Easter holidays, l was involved in putting in the machinery.
- The result was immediate coal produced by the plough faces could be got away much quicker without stops.
- Lord Salisbury the saddle tank steam locomotive transported the railway wagons from the pit head to Midsomer Norton Station, l had the pleasure of changing tubes in the locomotive many times.
- Norton Hill lapsed into unprofitably on 8-45pm February 11th 1966 the pit closed, the miners were devastated.
About Somerset Coal:
We believe that Somerset coal was first discovered by the Romans. They were in the West Country 43AD, and there are references to it being used at the Temple of Minerva in Aqua Sulis (Bath). The coal used was probably found in coal outcrops around Stratton-on-the-Fosse, and transported along the Roman road – the Fosseway – for use in Bath.
Early coal workings, from coal outcrops, were largely in the Nettlebridge Valley, around Stratton-on-the-Fosse and Coleford, and to the North of the Coalfield, around High Littleton. It is estimated that output in 1500 was estimated about 10,000 tons a year, and that this had increased 10-fold by the late 1600s…
For even more information and history of Somerset Coal, Click Here.
