Mining before 1754
Source – A Brief History of Coal Mining in Clutton by L. J. Cunningham. Published by the Clutton History Group.
The earliest reference to coal mining in Clutton is in a presentment dated 1597 which outlines a dispute involving a miner who did not fill in his disused coalpit. However, a more detailed account of mining at this time comes from: a report on the Clutton manor dated 1610. This identified three pits by widow Blacker's house. Unfortunately it has not been possible to identify precisely the location of these pits, but the likely
areas are Pennyquick and Greyfield Woods.
These pits were quite shallow, being four [17 meters], six [11 meters] and eight [14 meters] fathoms deep, but the following description shows that they were extensive underground –
“they cut their lanes about four feet high and broad. They need no great store of timber for support. The lane we crept through was a good quoit cast in length* wherein we found two cross lanes, whereby it may appear that the mine is newly entered into. At the end of each lane a man worketh and there maketh his bench and according to the vent they maketh more or fewer benches.”
- The phrase "a good quoit cast in length" refers to a traditional way of measuring distance by comparing it to how far a quoit could be thrown.
A quoit is a heavy metal or rope ring used in a traditional throwing game (similar to horseshoes), and a "quoit cast" is the distance someone could reasonably throw one.
While there’s no fixed standard, historically - A typical quoit cast is roughly 20 to 30 yards (about 18 to 27 meters).
This method, whereby pillars are left to support the mine, is certainly a progression on the earliest form of underground mining, the Bell Pit.
Collapsed shaft entrance near The Waterfall in Greyfield Woods.
Photograph – Alan Gray (2005).
Greyfield Wood – showing the 200 foot deep mine shafts
Photograph – Alan Gray (2005).
I met a local gentleman who was walking his dogs and he told me that before the Woodland Trust would take over ownership of Greyfield Woods (in about 1998), from the Shepherd family who owned a Saw Mill in Chilcompton, they required all the “open” shafts to be infilled. Workers were in the woods for about two months and lorries delivered chippings which were put down the shafts. From memory he thinks that 20 shafts were filled. Capped Shafts Nos. 1 & 2 had their caps removed, were filled and the capstones replaced. However he did state that the majority of the pit infilling took place on the Eastern side of Greyfield Wood.
The location of the first and second 200 feet deep pits can no longer be seen as the whole area is covered with brambles.
Greyfield Wood – First 200 foot deep mine shaft **
Photograph – Alan Gray (2005).**
Greyfield Wood – Second 200 foot deep mine shaft
Photograph – Alan Gray (2005).
Mining between 17514 and 1833
Source – A Brief History of Coal Mining in Clutton by L. J. Cunningham. Published by the Clutton History Group.
In 1754 a survey was conducted of the Earl of Warwick's estate and the only mining activity was at Redhill, where a Mr. Bolster was tenant. Therefore it would seem that the earlier activity had ceased. However, Churchlands (mentioned in one of the earlier leases came into use again in 1778/9 when freeshare was paid for coals dug there. This would tend to support the notion of irregular mining activity during the earlier period. The most significant development during the latter half of the 18th century was that at Clutton Hill. Mining at this location marks the beginning of a period of continuous mining activity in Clutton which came to an end in 1923.
The mines at Clutton Hill were in operation in 1793 as they are identified on John Renniers map of the Somerset Coal Canal, but by the time of the 1836 estate survey they were disused. These pits differ significantly from the earlier mines in that they are deeper and have lined shafts. This was seen when, in October 1984, Engine pit was unexpectedly opened revealing a 6 feet square shaft lined with Pennant Sandstone. This pit was over 300 feet deep and Clutton Lower Works was 162 feet deep. Underground the mines differed in that there were several inclines or guggs away from the main shaft and each had a coalface of about 30 yards. This was called the “longwall” method of mining and this meant that more men could be employed underground and more coal. could be removed, but it did necessitate a greater amount of timber for supports. A horse gin would have been used to bring the coal to the surface.
The scale of production was altogether much larger, on average 60 men were employed and the annual production would have varied between 60,000 and 10,000 tons. Indeed this area was something of a local industrial centre for there was a brickworks and a limekiln at Clutton Lower Works. The increase in the scale of production resulted from an expansion of the local market. The population was increasing creating a demand for domestic coal. Inferior coals were used in the growing number of limekilns and brickworks. However, the market did not spread beyond the immediate locality due to the poor road system and the high cost of land carriage. Indeed the proprietors of the Lower and Upper Works, Richard Moore and Joseph Brodribb, along with other colliery owners presented a petition in May, 1789 outlining objections to an increase in turnpike tolls which would increase costs and allow an influx of cheaper coals from other coalfields . Before 1754 the extent of the local market encouraged the development of small mining enterprises and the capital needed to start such a works was not beyond the means of a local yeoman. Indeed it was not uncommon for the working collier to be the colliery owner. However, with the increase in the size of production the costs had increased beyond the means of such a person. This resulted in small groups of local entrepreneurs of quite substantial means becoming involved in mining. This trend can be seen at the Clutton Works. Both Richard Moore and Joseph Brodribb were tenants of substantial farms in Clutton. The trend continued with the later developments at Greyfield and Frys Bottom which involved David Cook of North End Farm and James Rossiter of Cloud Hill Farm.
The mining accounts are, again, quite useful for obtaining information about the nature of mining. Wages were paid for the following jots – breakers, carting boys, gugg workers, for carting the dung, for tipping coal, blacksmith, carpenter, brickmaker and for loading the bricks. Wages at this time were on average 1s 8d per day for a breaker and 1s 3d per day for carting boys. An interesting feature of the accounts is that the underground workers were paid for working in teams which varied in size from 2 to persons and that each group was paid according to how much coal was brought out.
Clutton Coal Works was in operation in 1817 as it is identified on the First Edition of the 1" to a mile Ordnance Survey map and was involved in a strike in February of that year. However, the Works was closed by 1836. The decline and ultimate closure of these pits is probably related to the development of the Somerset Coal Canal. Different, cheaper, forms of transport were necessary to maintain the development of the coalfield and canals provided this. Mines connected to the canal tended to prosper while those not often declined. Somerset Coal Canal Act of 1794 authorised six tramways to be connected to the canal head, including one to the Clutton Coal works.
However, it was never completed as planned; a shorter tramway followed Timsbury Bottom and then forked, the two branches terminating at Amesbury and Mearns Pits. It has not been possible to determine, conclusively, whether this fact explains the demise of the Clutton Coal Works, but the later mines of Greyfield and Frys Bottom belong to the railway era.