Land behind Oxclose Park development towards Killamarsh.

[Square-Bashe]

I was out cycling over this land that runs behind the Heathlands & Oxclose Park development (nr Morrisons) Halfway towards the petrol station located on Station Rd between the Halfway tram stop roundabout and Killamarsh.

 

The land its self is covered by what looks like slag of some sort and I saw a concrete slab that I think had something about it being a cap for a vent or something along those lines.

 

Was this area mined?

 

There's also an odd building off Station Road coming from Mosborough towards the Halfway roundabout on the right hand side as if your driving towards Killamarsh, just between Moss Way and Mossdale Ave, anyone know what thats about, or should that be left to another thread??

[simonj]

The area between Moss Way and Mossdale Ave is the land from the old Vine Grove Farm. The farm itself is now part of a small but elite housing estate however the building(s) you refer to are probably the old barns (2 in number, just the supports and roofs remaining). There are also a couple of old stone storage areas in the undergrowth although I'm can't remember what they originally were. You can only really see them in the winter once the leaves have gone from the surrounding trees.

 

There was a web page that had some detailed information on Mosborough and Vine Grove Farm but it seems to have disappeared sometime in the last few months

[Lostrider]

The land was the former site of Halfway & Holbrook Colliery.

 

 

The large concrete caps are just that, cappings to the mine shafts. I have one buried in my garden belonging to Westwell pit in mosborough which was capped in the ealy 1900's. The shaft is over a 100 feet deep and the cap around 6 feet across.

 

Here is a section from the "History of Mosborough" 1866.

 

"Around 1830, George Wells, an Eckington man, started working a gin pit on the Little Hill. Some two years later he sank two more on the Common in the field where the Bridle path crosses it. Next he built coke ovens for them. He then worked an engine pit much higher up in the same area. His next venture was to buy Sales and Bibb's pit at Moor Hole for £2,400. George died in 1844 with sons Joseph and George carrying on the business.

 

The new firm of J. and G. Wells immediately began sinking the bottom side mine at Moor Hole. Joseph was the driving force of the concern and it was largely due to him that J. and G. Wells became one of the largest colliery owners in England. They owned many pits in the area and, in 1870 at their Holbrook Colliery alone, over 500 men and boys were employed underground. It could be truly said in those days that coal was king.

 

The family built both Eckington Hall (situated in Mosborough) and Elmwood. Joseph decided to build in Mosborough because he couldn't find a site he liked in Eckington."

[_johnnyb_]

There's also an odd building off Station Road coming from Mosborough towards the Halfway roundabout on the right hand side as if your driving towards Killamarsh, just between Moss Way and Mossdale Ave, anyone know what thats about, or should that be left to another thread??

Simonj has covered most of it but I believe the overgrown stone building is an old brick works.

[Square-Bashe]

Thanks for the response! Im kinda new to these parts, moved here 3 yrs ago from a small village near the Guildford area, Surrey so am interested in the local history. Was that whole area between Oxclose and Killmarsh mined and used for other such activities or was it a few shafts that were sunk?

 

johnnyb - the overgrown building is what interested me, looked out of place really! Wasn't sure if it would have been part of the mining works as well!!

 

Seems as though Mosborough area has quite an interesting past. Thought its main industry was at one point was sythes??

[simonj]

Found some more info on Vine Grove Farm. Taken from an Archaeological Investigations Project (2005) document found on the internet:

 

LAND TO THE REAR OF VINE GROVE FARM, SCHOOL STREET, MOSBOROUGH

Archaeological Desk-based Assessment of Land to the rear of Vine Grove Farm, School Street, Mosborough, South Yorkshire

May, R Sheffield : ARCUS, 2005, 3pp, colour pls, figs, refs

Work undertaken by: ARCUS

 

The site was undeveloped prior to the late 19th century and consisted of fields. The Mosborough Brick and Tile Works was constructed adjacent to the application area. A 1950s-60s barn was still standing, although the southern barn was in poor condition and were not considered to be archaeologically significant. No structures associated with the brickworks were recorded within the application area. The surrounding area was obscured by dense vegetation. The remains of kiln structures and a ruined 19th century works building survived to the east of the application area.

 

Link (Adobe Acrobat document):

 

http://csweb.bournemouth.ac.uk/aip/gaz2005/byork.pdf

[Cazzerb65]

I you want more info on the pits in the area, go to www.dmm.org.uk 

Holbrook, Eckington, killmarsh, Plumley, Mosborough etc