Winter Hill Mines

Winter Hill has been mined extensively since before historic records begin and evidence of several historic types of mine can be found in the local area, including early ‘bell pits’, primitive tunnels, extensive 19th century underground workings and more recent open cast mining remains. The majority of mines in the Winter Hill area will be found to have been coal mines and sometimes an accompanying clay known as fireclay was extracted for use in tile or brick kilns. However, evidence of the mining of lead or other minerals can be found. Most of the mines are either damp or flooded, as is the old number two pit air road for Montcliffe Colliery, the interesting wooded supports still intact. A mine of information on Winter Hill Tunnels and Mines is available from Dave Lane’s excellent web site. A flooded section of a mine tunnel - formerly the Montcliffe number one pit air road - the coal bearing seam can be seen as the black rock in the tunnel walls, with the lighter coloured sandstone beds forming the ceiling and lower walls and floor. Traces of orange iron can be seen to be penetrating through the permeable rock in places.

In Montcliffe Pit 1 Tunnel, an old broken barrel and pipes that were put into the old mine to draw off water for the town before the modern reservoir supplies were put in place can be seen.

The mine water was tested and found to be of good quality and suitable for human consumption, at least many years ago. Today there are many breaks in the pipes today so we can guess the water is no longer used.

Created: 27  November  2016  Edited: 29  November  2023