YORKSHIRE MAIN COLLIERY

THORNE COLLIERY

Thorne colliery was worked untill 1956 ,at which time it was closed for major shaft repairs, it never reopend for production but was kept on a care and maintenance basis with the intention of reopening the mine should the market for coal improve in the future.

A decision to close the mine came as a shock to local people in 2002 as it was thought by many that this would eventually be the last working coal mine in England due to the massive reserves of coal still left underground in the High hazel and the Barnsley seams, however this was not to be and the pumps were turned off in 2004 and the pit bottom area soon became flooded.

The shafts are now being filled ( Oct 2005) and at present about 400,000 tons of slurry and dirt have been tipped into the no2 shaft, the dirt is transported from Kellingly colliery.

LOADING DIRT AT KELLINGLY.

TIPPING DIRT INTO THE NO2 SHAFT.

It is reported that the shaft was recently filled to within 400 meters of the surface but this has now sunk back down again to about 100 meters from the bottom of the shaft.

The following are pictures of the no2 winder during demolition.

WINDER SHOWING GAUGE.