Manvers Main Collieries

Manvers Main Colliery was a coal mine, sunk on land belonging to the Earl Manvers and was situated on the northern edge of the township of Wath-upon-Dearne, between that town and Mexborough, in the Dearne Valley South Yorkshire.

Within the complex was the Regional headquarters and laboratories of British Coal.

Manvers was, in fact, a complex of collieries, the original sinkings being known as "Old Manvers", the later sinkings as "New Manvers", and a coke and by-products plant.

The first shaft was sunk in the late 1800s and this was followed by the second shaft, sunk between 1900 and 1901 and later a third shaft was added.

The Manvers Main Colliery Company were also responsible, in 1911, for the sinking of two shafts at Barnburgh, a village about two miles north east. The collieries were connected by a private railway.

On 4 March 1945 the colliery suffered an accident which caused the death of 5 underground workers. The cause was an explosion of firedamp ignited by sparks from a damaged trailing cable.

Immediately prior to nationalization Manvers was owned by Manvers Main Collieries Ltd.

The coke ovens and coal by-products plant was closed in 1981 and the colliery complex on 25 March 1988.

Sources of Information

• [1] Wikipedia