Wet weather rained us off on 4th August, but the Friends picked up the pace during the month which was, traditionally, expected to be somewhat summery…

Cloud control

Regular volunteers duly arrived on 12th August, although heavy and gloomy clouds hovered ominously above.

Sprinking some sunshine of our own, site manager Glen and regular volunteer Paul chipped in with some gardening, wiring back the plants growing up along our very own ‘kitchen garden’ wall, and keeping an eye on the weeding.

Meanwhile around the back regular volunteers Glen and Paul continued this year’s campaign of repairing and consolidating the rear retaining wall.

This crucial work will quite literally lay the foundations for a safe and secure rebuilding of the collapsed brick wall atop the stone face of the high wall. Years of steady volunteer effort in reclaiming, cleaning and stacking bricks has been essential to prepare for the time when rebuilding, and brick-laying can begin again!

Be our guest(s)

On Thurdsay 10th August 2023, the Friends were pleased to welcome a special group visit from members of the MRIAS – Manchester Region Industrial Archaeology Society. Around 15 members had journeyed over the Pennines to visit Elsecar and included a visit to Hemingfield Colliery. It was an ideal opportunity for the Friends to display our new interpretation boards created as part of our National Lottery Heritage Fund Hemingfield’s Hidden History project.

The Friends also welcomed a group of photographers to the site as an evening visit to explore and capture the colours and textures of our historic site; getting into the nooks and crannies.

Huge thanks go to our regular volunteers for making time to support these group visits outside of regular open days, and particularly to our kind visitors for sharing their time and supporting the work of the group protecting the site.

Bank Holiday Monday, 28th August 2023

Regular volunteers continued their work throughout the months, but rounding off the month with a Bank Holiday session the progress was good – especially in the Pump House Cottage garden and around the back of the site as the rear wall consolidation work had continued apace.

Looking back: Health and Safety, 1903

120 years ago, early in the morning of Tuesday 11th August 1903, a group of 30 miners were descending the Melton slant incline underground at Hemingfield. A later development in the pit’s working life, the slant was worked via an endless wire rope haulage system, driven by an engine on the surface, via pulley wheels in the main winding shaft.

Around 6.10 am that morning, a train of coal tubs (corves) came loose and ran away down the slant, along the rails and knocked into the miners. Although empty, the weight and speed of the corves caused a serious accident, with the force of the impact causing two miners, Harry Bamforth and his brother George to suffer broken bones.

George suffered a fractured arm and leg, with facial injuries, while Harry came away with a broken leg. Medical attention was sought, and the manager notified the General Manager of Earl Fitzwilliam’s collieries, Mr Thomas Newbould.

The next day, Wednesday 12th August 1903, Newbould visited Hemingfield Colliery and went underground to view the site of the accident. The non-fatal accident was also reportable to the Inspector of Mines, W.H. Pickering who listed it among with 67 other ‘Miscellaneous underground accidents’ in his official Report for 1903.

The Bamforth family had long connections with Earl Fitzwilliam’s collieries, and Hemingfield in particular, and the family lived at Pit Row opposite the colliery for many years, with Harry starting work at Hemingfield in 1878 after a short stint at Simon Wood pit.

Harry (1866-1940) and George (1872-1951) were both active in Elsecar’s social life, being founder members of the Elsecar Midland Working Mens Club (now disused, on Cobcar Street).

Harry was also active in the Yorkshire Miners Association, and was appointed checkweighman at Elsecar Main, to where he transferred when the ‘new’ pit was sunk. He was a prominent voice in a deputation to the Earl in the Elsecar Main price list dispute in 1910.