NearEMPTiness:
[[File:Hill Top Colliery (4622573406).jpg|thumb|Hill Top Colliery, 2010]]
[[File:Landing (10016759054).jpg|thumb|Crossing of rail tracks at the landing below the incline]]
The '''Hill Top Colliery''' in [[Sharneyford]] between [[Bacup]] and [[Todmorden]] was, until 2014, the last coal mine still in operation in [[Lancashire]].<ref>Peter Magill: [http://bit.ly/2UXTMlb ''Reassurance over East Lancashire's coal mine safety.''] Lancashire Telegraph, 9. November 2011.</ref><ref>AditNow: [http://bit.ly/2E6kuCn ''Hilltop coal mine and Billy Clayton.'']</ref>
== Foundation ==
The Hill Top Colliery was opened in 1948. In 1948, the National Coal Board built two drifts leading downwards into the average 1.40 m (4 feet 6 inches) thick Union coal seam.<ref Name="Potts">Alex Potts und Thomas Imgrund: [http://bit.ly/2UXTMSd ''Hill Top Colliery, Forest of Rossendale, Lancashire.''] 2004</ref> Under the National Coal Board it employed from 1950 to 1965 on average 101 men underground and 9 above.<ref name="nmrs">Northern Mine Research Society: [http://bit.ly/2E9EZ1j ''Hill Top Colliery.'']</ref> At its peak there worked about 200 miners.<ref Name="Potts"/>
== Drifts ==
[[File:CC on the tub (5360181387).jpg||thumb|Pushing a wagon over a rail crossing]]
The ''Intake Drift'' with a 1 to 1½ (66%) grade was 78 meters long, while the lesser steep ''Return Drift'' was 339 meters long at a 1 to 4 (25%) grade.<ref name="nmrs"/> The rails consisted of L-shaped steel profiles with a gauge of probably 3 feet (914 mm). The wagons of the winch-operated inclinehad flangeless metal disc wheels and were also used for passenger transport, because of the low height of the drifts. They were pushed in the plane by hand and driven on downhill slopes with winches.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yZrVDiAg_E The End of an Era: Hilltop Colliery - Bacup, 1997-2014, The Last Coal Mine in Lancashire,] b3tarev3, 15. April 2014.</ref> Some of the numerous wagons were probably acquired second-hand from the disused Old Meadows Colliery.<ref>[http://bit.ly/2UXTN8J Old Meadows Colliery, Bacup 1968. Deputy travelling the district on his manriding cart, disc wheels, angle iron rails, iron turning plate. Still in use at Hilltop Colliery, Bacup a couple of years ago.]</ref><ref>Alan Davies: [http://bit.ly/2E8bkp1 Old Meadows Colliery, 1968. A deputy travels his district.] In: ''Coal Mining in Lancashire & Cheshire.'' Amberley Publishing Limited, 2010.</ref>
== Employees ==
The nearby Moorfield Colliery in Accrington was closed shortly after the nationalization in 1947, after which many of the formerly employed miners worked in the Hill Top Colliery. In less than 20 years they have produced 400 tons of coal per week before the mighty Union seam was exhausted in 1966.<ref name="kabrna">[http://bit.ly/2UXTNFL ''Hill Top Mine.''] Craven & Pendle Geological Society.</ref> The coal had a relatively high sulfur content and was therefore sold mainly to the chemical industry in [[Widnes]].<ref Name="Potts"/>
== Drainage ==
[[File:Orangey goodness (5997648071).jpg|thumb|upright|Drainage of the coal mine, 2011]]
Powerful pumps, running day and night, were supplied with electrical power via an overhead line belonging to the mine. They pumped just over 1,000 liters (250 gallons) per minute out of the Hill Top Colliery and across the watershed of the [[Heald Moor]] into the [[Irwell Valley]] and not via the [[Greens Clough]] into the [[Yorkshire Calder]], which would have been the far cheaper alternative.<ref name="kabrna"/>
== Temporary closure and reopening ==
In 1966, the mine was closed after the coal deposits seemed to be exhausted. The Grimebridge Colliery Co Ltd, led by miners William (Billy) Clayton and his business partner Rodney Mitchall, obtained a license to exploit Hill Top Colliery and opened the pit again. In the summer of 1997 two drifts were dug into the large seam between the previous tunnels and an open pit mine on the Heald Moor.<ref Name="Potts"/> The planning permission for the construction of the two new drifts was granted in August 1989. However, the start of construction was delayed, so that in 1997 an application for renewal of this permit was made and approved. In September 2005, a permit was granted for the continuation of mining until August 2011.<ref name="council">[http://bit.ly/2E8uSts Burnley Borough Council 12/11/0368: ''Variation of condition 1 of permission 12/04/0813 to allow continuation of coal mining and associated operations until 2 August 2018 at Hill Top Colliery, Sharneyford, Bacup.''] 19 October 2011.</ref>
== Coal deposits ==
[[File:End of the shift (9614665885).jpg|thumb|upright|End of shift]]
The coal reserves, extend underground over a working area of about 9 hectares. In 1997, the coal authority granted a license to mine 110,000 tonnes of coal.<ref name="council"/> Although about 150,000 tonnes of coal were still available, only less than 50 tonnes were mined in 2003 due to staff shortages.<ref Name="Potts"/> Four miners, who worked only in the morning in the mine, promoted until October 2011, only 2900 tonnes of coal.<ref name="council"/>
== Change of ownership ==
Billy Clayton died unexpectedly of a heart attack on May 16, 2008, when he brought his grandson to school.<ref>Rachael Hardstaff: [http://bit.ly/2UWn6sd ''In memory of Bill Clayton - Three peaks challenge.'']</ref> Then his son Billy Clayton son took over the operation of the mine until it was closed in 2014.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bflmx8m97pU ''Mr H's Hot Pot: End of an era at Hilltop Colliery, Lancashire's last coal mine.''] 2 October 2018.</ref>
== Health and safety ==
In December 2016, the state [[Health and Safety Executive]] issued a prohibition notice to warn about the risk of water leakage and a improvement notice suggestion regarding the requirement of regular expert assessments of the compressor.<ref>[http://bit.ly/2E9t17X ''Notice 307666898 served against Grimebridge Colliery Company Limited on 12/12/2016.'']</ref>
== Coal balls ==
[[File:Coal Balls - Burnley Bobbers (4609486017).jpg|thumb|[[Coal ball]]s (''Burnley bobbers'')]]
In Lancashire, especially in the [[Burnley]] area, peat [[concretion]]s are known as [[coal ball]]s or colloquially as ''Burnley bobbers''. They are particularly common in the seams of the [[Upper Foot Mine]] and [[Lower Mountain Mine]] in East Lancashire but also in the mines in Todmorden Moor on the eastern edge of this coal field. Due to their hardness, they often caused damage to the mining equipment, as well as the picks, drums and cutting jibs in the coal mines in North East Lancashire. In the mines of Todmorden Moor the coal balls were common. Some were collected by the locals from the waste heaps because of the petrifactions, others are still there.<ref>b3tarev3: [http://bit.ly/2UWn7wh ''Burnley bobbers / coal balls.'']</ref>
== Weblinks ==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yZrVDiAg_E The End of an Era: Hilltop Colliery – Bacup, 1997–2014, The Last Coal Mine in Lancashire,] b3tarev3, 15. April 2014
* [http://bit.ly/2E721FP Hilltop Colliery – Lancashire: A rare glimpse into Lancashire's last working coal mine.]
* [http://bit.ly/2UWn83j The Geograph: Hill Top Colliery]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lJctqbrIX0&feature=related ''Lancashire Colliers (Grimebridge)''] Granada Video
== References ==
<references/>
[[Category:Coal mines in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Mining railways]]
[[Category:Lancashire]]
[[File:Landing (10016759054).jpg|thumb|Crossing of rail tracks at the landing below the incline]]
The '''Hill Top Colliery''' in [[Sharneyford]] between [[Bacup]] and [[Todmorden]] was, until 2014, the last coal mine still in operation in [[Lancashire]].<ref>Peter Magill: [http://bit.ly/2UXTMlb ''Reassurance over East Lancashire's coal mine safety.''] Lancashire Telegraph, 9. November 2011.</ref><ref>AditNow: [http://bit.ly/2E6kuCn ''Hilltop coal mine and Billy Clayton.'']</ref>
== Foundation ==
The Hill Top Colliery was opened in 1948. In 1948, the National Coal Board built two drifts leading downwards into the average 1.40 m (4 feet 6 inches) thick Union coal seam.<ref Name="Potts">Alex Potts und Thomas Imgrund: [http://bit.ly/2UXTMSd ''Hill Top Colliery, Forest of Rossendale, Lancashire.''] 2004</ref> Under the National Coal Board it employed from 1950 to 1965 on average 101 men underground and 9 above.<ref name="nmrs">Northern Mine Research Society: [http://bit.ly/2E9EZ1j ''Hill Top Colliery.'']</ref> At its peak there worked about 200 miners.<ref Name="Potts"/>
== Drifts ==
[[File:CC on the tub (5360181387).jpg||thumb|Pushing a wagon over a rail crossing]]
The ''Intake Drift'' with a 1 to 1½ (66%) grade was 78 meters long, while the lesser steep ''Return Drift'' was 339 meters long at a 1 to 4 (25%) grade.<ref name="nmrs"/> The rails consisted of L-shaped steel profiles with a gauge of probably 3 feet (914 mm). The wagons of the winch-operated inclinehad flangeless metal disc wheels and were also used for passenger transport, because of the low height of the drifts. They were pushed in the plane by hand and driven on downhill slopes with winches.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yZrVDiAg_E The End of an Era: Hilltop Colliery - Bacup, 1997-2014, The Last Coal Mine in Lancashire,] b3tarev3, 15. April 2014.</ref> Some of the numerous wagons were probably acquired second-hand from the disused Old Meadows Colliery.<ref>[http://bit.ly/2UXTN8J Old Meadows Colliery, Bacup 1968. Deputy travelling the district on his manriding cart, disc wheels, angle iron rails, iron turning plate. Still in use at Hilltop Colliery, Bacup a couple of years ago.]</ref><ref>Alan Davies: [http://bit.ly/2E8bkp1 Old Meadows Colliery, 1968. A deputy travels his district.] In: ''Coal Mining in Lancashire & Cheshire.'' Amberley Publishing Limited, 2010.</ref>
== Employees ==
The nearby Moorfield Colliery in Accrington was closed shortly after the nationalization in 1947, after which many of the formerly employed miners worked in the Hill Top Colliery. In less than 20 years they have produced 400 tons of coal per week before the mighty Union seam was exhausted in 1966.<ref name="kabrna">[http://bit.ly/2UXTNFL ''Hill Top Mine.''] Craven & Pendle Geological Society.</ref> The coal had a relatively high sulfur content and was therefore sold mainly to the chemical industry in [[Widnes]].<ref Name="Potts"/>
== Drainage ==
[[File:Orangey goodness (5997648071).jpg|thumb|upright|Drainage of the coal mine, 2011]]
Powerful pumps, running day and night, were supplied with electrical power via an overhead line belonging to the mine. They pumped just over 1,000 liters (250 gallons) per minute out of the Hill Top Colliery and across the watershed of the [[Heald Moor]] into the [[Irwell Valley]] and not via the [[Greens Clough]] into the [[Yorkshire Calder]], which would have been the far cheaper alternative.<ref name="kabrna"/>
== Temporary closure and reopening ==
In 1966, the mine was closed after the coal deposits seemed to be exhausted. The Grimebridge Colliery Co Ltd, led by miners William (Billy) Clayton and his business partner Rodney Mitchall, obtained a license to exploit Hill Top Colliery and opened the pit again. In the summer of 1997 two drifts were dug into the large seam between the previous tunnels and an open pit mine on the Heald Moor.<ref Name="Potts"/> The planning permission for the construction of the two new drifts was granted in August 1989. However, the start of construction was delayed, so that in 1997 an application for renewal of this permit was made and approved. In September 2005, a permit was granted for the continuation of mining until August 2011.<ref name="council">[http://bit.ly/2E8uSts Burnley Borough Council 12/11/0368: ''Variation of condition 1 of permission 12/04/0813 to allow continuation of coal mining and associated operations until 2 August 2018 at Hill Top Colliery, Sharneyford, Bacup.''] 19 October 2011.</ref>
== Coal deposits ==
[[File:End of the shift (9614665885).jpg|thumb|upright|End of shift]]
The coal reserves, extend underground over a working area of about 9 hectares. In 1997, the coal authority granted a license to mine 110,000 tonnes of coal.<ref name="council"/> Although about 150,000 tonnes of coal were still available, only less than 50 tonnes were mined in 2003 due to staff shortages.<ref Name="Potts"/> Four miners, who worked only in the morning in the mine, promoted until October 2011, only 2900 tonnes of coal.<ref name="council"/>
== Change of ownership ==
Billy Clayton died unexpectedly of a heart attack on May 16, 2008, when he brought his grandson to school.<ref>Rachael Hardstaff: [http://bit.ly/2UWn6sd ''In memory of Bill Clayton - Three peaks challenge.'']</ref> Then his son Billy Clayton son took over the operation of the mine until it was closed in 2014.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bflmx8m97pU ''Mr H's Hot Pot: End of an era at Hilltop Colliery, Lancashire's last coal mine.''] 2 October 2018.</ref>
== Health and safety ==
In December 2016, the state [[Health and Safety Executive]] issued a prohibition notice to warn about the risk of water leakage and a improvement notice suggestion regarding the requirement of regular expert assessments of the compressor.<ref>[http://bit.ly/2E9t17X ''Notice 307666898 served against Grimebridge Colliery Company Limited on 12/12/2016.'']</ref>
== Coal balls ==
[[File:Coal Balls - Burnley Bobbers (4609486017).jpg|thumb|[[Coal ball]]s (''Burnley bobbers'')]]
In Lancashire, especially in the [[Burnley]] area, peat [[concretion]]s are known as [[coal ball]]s or colloquially as ''Burnley bobbers''. They are particularly common in the seams of the [[Upper Foot Mine]] and [[Lower Mountain Mine]] in East Lancashire but also in the mines in Todmorden Moor on the eastern edge of this coal field. Due to their hardness, they often caused damage to the mining equipment, as well as the picks, drums and cutting jibs in the coal mines in North East Lancashire. In the mines of Todmorden Moor the coal balls were common. Some were collected by the locals from the waste heaps because of the petrifactions, others are still there.<ref>b3tarev3: [http://bit.ly/2UWn7wh ''Burnley bobbers / coal balls.'']</ref>
== Weblinks ==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yZrVDiAg_E The End of an Era: Hilltop Colliery – Bacup, 1997–2014, The Last Coal Mine in Lancashire,] b3tarev3, 15. April 2014
* [http://bit.ly/2E721FP Hilltop Colliery – Lancashire: A rare glimpse into Lancashire's last working coal mine.]
* [http://bit.ly/2UWn83j The Geograph: Hill Top Colliery]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lJctqbrIX0&feature=related ''Lancashire Colliers (Grimebridge)''] Granada Video
== References ==
<references/>
[[Category:Coal mines in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Mining railways]]
[[Category:Lancashire]]
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