Shared description
Clee Hill coalfield
A significant coal seam underlies the dolerite cap of Hoar Edge and Clee Hill, outcropping on the southern slopes of Titterstone Clee Hill, on the hillside between Cleehill and Doddington and on Catherton Common.
Being easily accessible, it was worked from the medieval period, initially by working into the edge of the seam, and later with bell pits. As these became worked out, and with improving technology, deeper shafts were sunk, largely along the top of Clee Hill. This phase occurred in the mid to late 19th century, with the final stage of pits using steam power to wind coal. These pits were hard won, as the shafts had to be sunk through the hard cap of dolerite on the hill. Most of these pits had closed by the end of the 19th century, but one or two continued into the 20th, the final closure occurring in 1927.
The isolated nature of the coalfield and its location on top of the hill meant that there was no other development than the pits themselves. The result is that the remains continue largely undisturbed. For this reason, the areas of the older workings, both on Clee Hill and Titterstone Clee Hill are designated scheduled monuments.
The remains are easily accessible for those with an interest in early mining. The areas are all open access land, still crossed by the trackways used to transport the coal from the mines, mostly designated rights of way. Detailed information about the mining remains can be found on the Archaeology Data Service website, as follows:
Early coal mining Link
Later coal mining Link
Stone quarrying: Link
Being easily accessible, it was worked from the medieval period, initially by working into the edge of the seam, and later with bell pits. As these became worked out, and with improving technology, deeper shafts were sunk, largely along the top of Clee Hill. This phase occurred in the mid to late 19th century, with the final stage of pits using steam power to wind coal. These pits were hard won, as the shafts had to be sunk through the hard cap of dolerite on the hill. Most of these pits had closed by the end of the 19th century, but one or two continued into the 20th, the final closure occurring in 1927.
The isolated nature of the coalfield and its location on top of the hill meant that there was no other development than the pits themselves. The result is that the remains continue largely undisturbed. For this reason, the areas of the older workings, both on Clee Hill and Titterstone Clee Hill are designated scheduled monuments.
The remains are easily accessible for those with an interest in early mining. The areas are all open access land, still crossed by the trackways used to transport the coal from the mines, mostly designated rights of way. Detailed information about the mining remains can be found on the Archaeology Data Service website, as follows:
Early coal mining Link
Later coal mining Link
Stone quarrying: Link
Created: Fri, 6 May 2016, Updated: Fri, 6 May 2016
7 images use this description: (all images taken in 2016)
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