YORKSHIRE MAIN COLLIERY

The sinking of Askern colliery nr Doncaster began in 1911 and the Barnsley bed was reached in a record 9 months at 568 yards. The following pictures show the surface buildings just before demolition.

Head gear and out buildings with opening date stone.

No 1 shaft head gear.

Wheel out side the gates.

Top of No 2 shaft on a winters day.

Out buildings.

Pit yard entrance.

No 2 head gear on a summers day.

Medical room.

Medical room , offices and baths.

Unknown figure in pit yard.

View from the top of No 1 shaft, Kellingley colliery spoil heap can be seen in the distance, with the shafts to the left.

Colliery out buildings.

Waiting to go down the pit .

Pit baths and medical room.

Office buildings and winding house.

Head gear during demolition.

Head gear and part of the coalite plant.

Fan house.

From across the fields.

On top of No1 shaft.

Waiting for the 4am bus during the strike.

Askern badge.

Old photograph taken down Askern main in the late 50s. on the left top, Mr Richards, centre, Deryl Jones and on the right, Ike Atter, Bottom, unknown.

 

The next pictures show maps of part of the underground workings at the colliery mainly the pit bottom area and workings in the Barnsley seam just before closure, it also shows the position of the morphia safes and first aid posts. Map dated 1991.

 

Old Askern main pit check.

During demolition in 1992.

Old railway ticket from 7 plank wagon at Askern main dated 1931.

Askern manager in the 70s Harry Jenkins.

Coal cutter at Askern, name?

Zeno clark , union man in the 70s at Askern

Post card of Askern colliery taken in the 30s

The following is a post card dated April 30 1930 regarding a William Howard who died at the mine in around 1933.

Back of post card.

Pit yard in 1964.

The picture above shows pat starbuck ,a friend, and two french pen pals after there visit underground in 1964 which was organised by her father, Bill starbuck, it was taken outside the lamp room. 

Askern colliery air compressor room in 1930.

 

Engine room which would have run the winding gear, again in the 1930s.

The machine shop at the colliery.

Askern under construction.

1930s Electrical team at Askern

Road way at the colliery in the 80s supported by wooden props.

Askern compressor room.

No 2 winding wheels.

The stock yard

surface buildings.

Again the surface buildings, a face machine waiting to go underground can be seen in the bottom of the picture

Part of the baths can be seen in the top of the picture.

Electrical equipment been removed from the colliery

Very old Askern pit tally

The following text is part of a letter i recently received from a company who are carrying out a closed circuit tv survey on the shafts of Askern colliery (Nov 06) . They lowered a camera down both shafts to ascertain the shaft condition, the purpose is to eventually pump methane from the mine to sell to the power stations.

Apparently the shafts are still in good condition and the pit bottom areas are still standing with minimal damage and only a small amount of flooding.

Part of there letter reads, Throught the UK disused colliery mine shafts have occasionally been left void below the shaft caps to allow minegases to be vented in a controlled manner( reducing pressurisation in the mineworkings and allowing access for water level monitoring), as is the case at Askern. At other sites the gas levels may already have been depleted following abandonment of the mine or altenatively many collieries never encountered minegas in any significant quantity during their life due to their geoliogy.At these sites where the likelihood of gas is deemed low then the mineshafts are filled and capped without providing any venting facilities. 

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ARTHER FOWLER, askern colliery bands man

Askern in full smoke in 1930.