SCMC Members Research

The results of Members detailed research on a particular mine site or topic is occasionally published by the Club in the form of an "Account".

During 2007 we managed to publish 2 new accounts (Nos. 25 and 26) and the Proceedings of the NAMHO 2006 Conference.

Ordering Copies
Copies of our Club Accounts and Journals (where still available) can be ordered online from:

Mike Moore at Moorebooks
www.moorebooks.co.uk

Madeley Wood Colliery, Halesfield and Kemberton Pits
Account 26 - by Dr Ivor J.Brown (2007)

A selection of articles covering the history of the Halesfield and Kemberton pits, from the early 1800s through amalgamation into the Madeley Wood Colliery (Madeley, Shropshire) and ultimate closure in July 1968. It also includes details of the families who owned and operated the mines along with some of the mining characters of the area. Illustrated with 55 black and white photographs and over 56 maps and drawings explaining locations, developments and techniques.

A4, card covers, 84 pages. ISBN: 978-09553019-3-3
Price £6 plus £1 p&p.   Available from Madeley Living History Project, Jubilee House, Madeley and online at: Moorebooks,  www.moorebooks.co.uk

The History of Limestone Mining in Church Aston & Lilleshall
Account 25 - by David Adams (2007)

This extensive account is a fully revised and updated re-edition of Club Account 7, published in 1970, and covers the history of mining in the Lilleshall and Church Aston area (near Newport, Shropshire) from it's recorded beginnings in the 17th Century through to it's demise in the 20th century. It also covers the associated development of local transport routes - notably the Donnington Wood Canal with it's incline plane and numerous wharves.

Chapter 6 is a field guide, with 4 "guided" walks to lead visitors aorund some of the surviving remains of the area.

In addition to the numerous photographs, illustrations and maps, a couple of A3 fold-out plans are included to provide greater clarity when studying the underground workings.

A4, card covers, 245 pages, 123 B/w plates. ISBN: 978-09553019-1-9
Price: £20 plus £2 p&p.   Available online at: Moorebooks,  www.moorebooks.co.uk

Mining in the Landscape
NAMHO 2006 Conference Proceedings. Various authors (2007)

This publication contains the proceedings of the 2006 National Association of Mining History Organisations (NAMHO) conference held at Llangollen and orgranised by the Shropshire Caving & Mining Club and the Shropshire Mines Trust. The theme of the conference was "Mining in the Landscape" and the talks ranged from the local metal mining industry from prehistoric times (at Great Orme) to the large 18th & 19th century complexes at Minera. Barytes, and coal mining were also covered in surrounding areas. While mining landscapes in Cornwall, Arraynes (Spain) and Zloty Stok (Poland) were discussed by lecturers.

A4, 86 pages. ISBN: 978-0-9553019-2-6
Price £7.50 plus £1 post & packing.  Available online at: Moorebooks,  www.moorebooks.co.uk

A List of Fatal Accidents in Shropshire Mines - 1850-1979
Account 24 - Dr. I.J.Brown (2005)

This account is an attempt to produce a list of persons who died as the result of an accident at a Shropshire mine using information given in the mines’ inspectorate reports, local newspapers, results of inquests and other sources.

From the 1850s, under the Coal Mines legislation, owners of ‘coal’ mines had to report accidents and after the passing of the Metalliferous Mines Acts in the 1870s, accidents at other mines had also to be reported, although some mine operators, like those of limestone and slate, claimed that this did not include them, as these were not ‘metals’. Eventually it was accepted that fatalities at these mines had also to be included.

This work, which has taken over 40 years to collate cannot claim to be complete, as new sources of information are constantly being discovered. However it has details of the majority of accidents along with details, newspaper reports, photographs and background information on a variety of incidents.

A4, card covers, 86 pages. ISBN: 978-09553019-0-2
Price £6 plus £1 p&p.   Available online at: Moorebooks,  www.moorebooks.co.uk

The Dudley Limestone Mines
Account 23 - Steve Powell (1999)
Produced jointly with the Peak District Mines Historical Society

Almost all traces of the mines around Dudley (now part of the West Midlands conurbation) have "disappeared", this publication is intended to provide a background history to the limestone mines of Dudley, an insight into their operations and a guide to those features that still survived at the time of writing.

A4, card covers, 68 pages. ISSN 1366-2511   (VERY Limited numbers available)
Price £6 plus £1 p&p.

Metal Mines of Shropshire
Account 22 - Edited by Adrian Pearce (1997)

The site information in this publication includes a description of surface remains and underground workings were accessible.

The account is an update of earlier Club Accounts (No.2, 4 and 12), but with an extended area of coverage.

A5, card covers, 61 pages. ISBN 0 9519140 9 X
Price £6 plus £1 p&p.   Available online at: Moorebooks,  www.moorebooks.co.uk

Metalliferous Mines of Shropshire, Vol. 1 - Gazetteer
Account 20 - Adrian Pearce (1994)

The Club has been actively surveying and recording the remains of the mining industry of Shropshire and surrounding Counties for over 30 years. During that time, many surface buildings have either fallen down, disappeared completely or have become obscured by trees and undergrowth.

In 1993, the Club began a comprehensive survey of the remaining surface features and accessible underground workings. When complete, the information will be published in several volumes to make a comprehensive record of the area. This Gazeteer is the first volume and it is hoped that it will be followed by several more, each one concentrating on the surface features and underground workings of different areas of Shropshire.

A4, card covers, ISBN 0 9519140 7 3
Price £5 plus £1 p&p.

The Mines of Llanymynech Hill
Account 14 - D.R.Adams (1991)

ISBN 0 9519140 0 6
This unique site on the Shropshire/Wales border has been worked intermittently from at least Roman times up to the last century. Known locally as the Ogof (the welsh name for cave), the site has often been mistaken in the past for a cave, but it is in fact a very early mine working. The site is near to Offa's Dyke (an early defensive earth work) and two iron age hill forts. Copper was worked in the early years, but when these deposits were exhausted, zinc and lead were mined.

Snailbeach - Recent Explorations
Account 15 - S.R.Holding (1992)

ISBN 0 9519140 1 4
Situated in the South of Shropshire in the middle of the metal mining area, Snailbeach was by far the largest metal mine in Shropshire. At one time it was considered "the richest mine per acre of ground in Europe". This fact, taken together with the extensive collection of surface remains has made the site very popular with mining historians. Sadly, underground exploration has been particularly difficult since the mine closed in 1911, and it is only in recent years that considerable progress has been made in reaching the upper parts of the 'main' stopes and workings. Plans to fill the underground workings have been strongly opposed by the Club, while some of the near surface, unstable sections have been lost, the deeper more interesting areas have been saved - largely due to the discovery of rare bats!

The Mines of Lilleshall & Church Aston
Account 16 - David J.Coxhill (1992)

ISBN 0 9519140 2 2
For many years the presence of old limestone mines and quarries, on the East side of Shropshire, around the Village of Lilleshall was virtually unknown. Flooded, overgrown, infilled and abandoned, few passers-by appreciated the important role these holes played in the Industrial Revolution in Shropshire - providing considerable amounts of limestone for the blast furnaces of Coalbrookdale and surrounding areas.

Extensive research by Club Members since the late 1950's, with a full scale survey in the 1960's, coupled with improved geological information (from bore holes sunk in the 1980's and 90's) has effectively brought the mines back, from being mere folk memories to being fact.

Snailbeach Lead Mine - Surface Remains
Account 17 - Dr. I.J.Brown (1993)

The surface remains at Snailbeach are considered to provide the most complete lead mining complex of the period 1850-1900 that can be found anywhere in Europe. The value of the site lies not in the individual buildings, but in the total setting. No fewer than 11 of its surviving structures have been listed as worthy of retention. The unique range of buildings include: engine houses of wood, stone and brick for beam, horizontal and vertical steam engines, along with adits, flues, dressing floors, shafts, workshops, railways, a magazine and a reservoir.

Mining Remains in South West Shropshire
Account 18 - T.Davies, M.Newton & A.Pearce (1993)

ISBN 0 9519140 4 7
First published as the "Engine Houses of the Mines of South Shropshire" (in 1969), it was the first attempt to systematically survey the surface remains of the metal mines in South Shropshire. Terry Davies' original surveys have been reproduced and complemented by Malcom Newton's superb sketches of the buildings, allowing the reader to quickly grasp what the structure was like, forming a unique study of the local metal mining industry.

Underground Video Techniques
Account 19 - Peter Eggleston (1994)

ISBN 0 9519140 6 5
This account was originally produced for the Underground Video Workshop held during the 1992 National Association of Mining History Organisations (NAMHO) field meet, hosted by the SCMC. The increasing use of video equipment underground has given rise to the need for information on how to choose video equipment for subterranean use, the protection of fragile kit, some examples of useful procedures and techniques and some special problems of lighting and sound below ground.

The final topic is a summary of some general video production ideas, and how they can be applied underground.

The Geology of the Shelve Mining Region
Account 21 - R.P.Fowler (1994)

ISBN 0 9519140 8 1
The Shelve Mining Region is a predominantly sedimentary succession, with some interbedded pyroclastics and intrusives, which are Precambrian to Early Silurian in age. The area underwent folding and faulting during the Taconian Orogeny and has also probably been relocated from the original depositional area along the Pontesford Linley fault system.

The area was extensively mined for barytes, lead and zinc in the 19th century. The distribution of these minerals was the result of the complex geological structure and seven phases of incursion by mineral rich fluids.

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