Investigating Lancashire Coal mines 

Never ceases to amaze me how much "stuff" there is under your feet in such remote locations. You drop into an unassuming hole on the moor and there's a forgotten world of mining and it's architecture. Top stuff guys👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Fascinating, many years ago i was down a working tin mine in Cornwall, I decided i would never go underground again, ( apart from the blue john caverns) Today we cannot imagine the hardship those men and children experienced the story of the father and child particularly hits home hard, but thats how it was in those days, Thank goodness we had the introduction of the unions to stop the exploitation of the working man and children. Another great video thank you. Sisaket Thailand.

The story re the 6 year old 15 years or so after the 1842 act I have never seen it confirmed nor the source of the evidence and I was a close friend of the man that wrote it down. 15-16 years later takes us to 1857 or so and with the records I have of that company and that pit I doubt it was the case...maybe a year or so after but I would very much doubt 15 years later..8 and 10 year olds yes. The bell pit story in 1860...again its an old mans tale with no doubt a grain of truth but certainly not 1860. Mining went on round there from before 1612, that's just a date we have of a court case so it could have gone on for 100 years previously. They wern't bell pits. They sunk shafts and worked about 100 yards around it then sunk another, underground haulage was a problem in those days so it was easier to sink another shaft and haul coal vertically than drag it long distances on sleds. many of these old shafts dot the Hillside, you wern't far off two or three of them when you were at Gambleside. It would be in one of these old pits the lad was left underground all night. Apparently its not that unusual as I have a report of a lad in Bacup around 1840 who spent a month at a time underground. Those old shafts were worked until 1835 when the new pit was driven. The winding shaft at Gambleside is filled in, its just subsided a little prob with water at the pit bottom...its 144' deep and sunk 1861, the pit didn't come into production properly till 1864 and closed 1936. The pumping shaft was sunk later to get to the deep virgin coal that extended up to the Deerplay fault that is roughly on the little lane at the end of Clowbridge res . The coal you find wasn't the coal the pit worked, it's the seam below...you were right...it does slightly rise all the way in so it drains naturally. It was driven under the coal for 4-500 yards and slowly cut through the strata till it met the coal it was looking for...your in the Lower Foot coal...very good for smiths forges...but only a foot thick. The main coal is maybe 15 yards above but the road is blown in before the workings are encountered.

Enjoyed seeing you guys getting Baptized in the Church Of The Adventure. The image of the workers at 9:12, the stories they could tell. Again love the "Brew" music. What a walk thru in the tunnel, "We have a collapse here" "OK just press on." I can't imagine what it was like to work down there with only candles for light. Outstanding..... Thanks to Northern Monkeys, James and Martin, nobody lost their "bottle"

Incredible! Disappear down a small hole in an unassuming grassy hillside and suddenly this! Just wow. Talk about history beneath your feet.

Dead man's walls also known as gobin tends to be waste rock. They do that with the waste rock to avoid having to haul it out. Do like watching old mine videos as they are somewhere I would not be in too much of a hurry to go myself.

loving this, brilliant day as always

The walls are Stacked debts. Waste rock used to prop up the mine and to save the effort of taking the material out of the mine. They're called dead man's walls because if you mess about with them you'd likely be slabbed or be underneath a full collapse. You'd be a dead man.

That is one of my favourite explores you've ever done Martin. You are mad going down those tunnels! Absolutely fascinating thank you

The walls with stacked rocks are called gobbing. Once a drift is dug and has no more mineable rock, they backfill them with waste rock from other parts of the mine. It is easier to move the rock inside the mine than to take it outside. They just stack the rocks up on the end to help stop the backfilled rocked from falling into the main haulage adit.

I used to live in a place called Bierley which is just south of Bradford and on the edge of the yorkshire coal field. The area was and is riddled with mine workings one of which my dad went down and through as a lad and went for a number of miles.

Amazing stuff Martin. My 5 year old son is asleep at the other end of the sofa whilst i watched this. Looking at him whilst you told the story of the father carrying his son to work asleep in a blanket brought a tear to my eye. I couldnt imagine that life, taking my son into such a dangerous environment and putting him to work would of broken me. Thanks for the video & stories 👌🏻

I have lived in Burnley for 67 years and roamed the moors when was younger and never realised this even existed or being young and stupid i would have been down there exploring....fantastic Martin

From the Frank Hough Mining Archive: "George Hargreaves and Company Gambleshaw Colliery was located on the far side of Clowbridge Reservoir and it mined the Upper and Lower Mountain Mines. In the mid 1890s the colliery employed 30 men underground and 2 surface workers. By the end of the First World War 33 men were employed underground with 11 men on the surface. The colliery also worked from a number of drifts and shafts working southwards alongside the reservoir. The last of the pits was abandoned in 1936. A surface chain road ran from the colliery to the Swinshaw Colliery, where it continued down to rhe Crawshawbooth Coal Staith." Incidentally, the Lower Mountain Mine is the same seam which was worked at the TOP of Winter Hill.

Wonderful exploration ! Fantastic images and explanations. Glad to see James doing well and the Northern Monkeys exercising for a higher calling :) Always remember a thumbs up for Martin.

That was flippin amazing martin. Thank you to all concerned. I just sat there going "wow". 🙂🐶🐶🐶

Great video again Martin. I think the little refuge was used for protection away from blasts from explosions to break up the rockface@21:19. I know this was the case in Speedwell Cavern in Castleton, Derbyshire. Often the very small children from about five years old were used to pull the rope to open the door at the end of a length of rail. They used to sit all day in the total darkness waiting for a knock or call to open the door to let a trolly through.

Cool Thanks for again showing us a place we wouldn't ever be able to see ourselves.

Absolutely mental as per usual. Thanks Martin.

Wonderful explore Martin. Looking forward to seeing your next one

Hes right about the shaft sinking over the decades, still wouldnt risk going on it after the nettles have died off. The deadmans wall is to block off an explatory inroad or back filled tunnel with the stones as a walls, some are about 3 to 4ft in depth. M Grandad was working underground at Pemberton Wigan, Blundels colliery at the age of 13yrs in 1901.

I may be wrong but I think a drawer was someone who opened and closed the airtight doors to let the tubs through. I learnt this at the Yorkshire Mining Museum. They were usually the youngest lads in the mine, apparently, they were given a candle on their first day but after that, they worked in complete darkness, judging only by the sound that a tub was coming. I wonder if dead men's walls blocked off an area where there had been a collapse and some bodies were still in there. Just a theory.

Imagine heading out for a nice, impromptu picnic by yourself, having no idea something like that was below your feet, then accidentally falling into a space like that. No light, no map, no cell signal, no clue where you are or the nature of the place you suddenly find yourself, and no hope of anyone figuring out where you've gone... Sounds like the set-up for a pretty compelling thriller...or horror film.

Let’s be honest, the people in them days where people hard as nails. I visited this video again because it is so great.

Thanks for showing something most of us will ever see. So interesting. You guys certainly have big balls going down there. Look forward to some more.

Thank you so much Guys, loved it all, this is à New world to me, awesome to see. Roos 🙋🏻‍♀️🌹💪🏻👍🏻🤗🥰

I can't believe that long tunnel was all dry fitted stone , no bricks and no mortar and it is in great shape arches and all . Cheers !/SRK

Hi Martin, such a great video, thank you. Please can you mention that the social and housing conditions were so different in those days, that the general population was much shorter than today. Access to good nutrition was almost absent, as was health care and clean water was a premium too. My Grandfather worked as a Miner and moved to building pit baths in the early 1900's in Wales where the miners were able to get clean before returning home after an often 12 hour shift. He died before I was born sadly so I was never able to get to know him. Life was indescribably hard, workers were frequently killed underground and there was no mention of it. Children were used to reach smaller spaces to gain the maximum profit for the mine owners. There was a reason women had 10 or 11 children. Child mortality was massively high compared to today. Thank goodness things have changed for the better. The only perk of being a miner was access to a small amount of coal for the families heating during the dark cold winter months. When you study industrial history, it is important to share what life was really like without electricity. Clean water, Doctors, Most workers were barely literate the life changes we have enjoyed in 100 years are incredible. Thank you for taking us into living history like this, you do us proud with your research.

A video that brings back a childhood nightmare of going potholing with my dad and a couple of his mad friends in Derbyshire. To be fair the mine looked quite nice compared with the pothole, K something or other. Nasty, I flatly refuse to go down any holes in the ground myself but appreciate to video 😊 My Great Grandfather was a mining engineer who started in the pit at 14. He joined the Royal Engineers during WW1 and was a Lieutenant in the 172nd Mining Company. He was wounded in December 1915 and died on New Years Day. He was 27.

Thanks Martin , very interesting mate. Take care and all the best. Stevie

That a 'V' notch weir at the pumping station for measuring the flow.

You guys are totally bonkers going into these places, may you be safe while entertaining us.

Looks like an oldie! Beautiful country there!

Love watching a bunch of mates out having fun and exploring places 👍

Great video guys. My dad started working as a young man in the coal mines in Washington State, USA. I have his old miner’s lamp. He had some wild stories of the rides down. Fascinating to see the old mines. Imagine spending hours working down there by candle, or miner’s lamp.

Daft as it sounds, it was like watching a Hollywood thriller/horror movie. I actually breathed a sigh of relief when everyone got out alive!

Martin, at 32 mins they discuss Ginny Track - rails for the coal hoppers. They cut them because the ends would still have been bolted firmly into the sleepers back when they stripped out the mine. Also, the cobbles between the tracks were laid for the pit ponies to save their feet from damage and to give them traction. Although children were used in the mines, mainly they were used to lead the pit ponies rather than actually pushing or pulling the carts.

Yet another great video, going to places we can't. Thank you Martin and all the guys.

You do great videos, Martin. You are a natural storyteller. Thank you.

Still watch all your films Martin .. This is one of my favorites Visited Burnley recently to investigate the route of Leeds Liverpool canal .. sure it was a boom town back in 1800s

Brilliant Video, I'm amazed you went so far underground, I don't think I would have fancied it, so fair play to you lads. Nice to see Kipper getting baptised lol...🤣👍

Just caught up with this video and just thinking how well lit it was with your modern torches etc but think of those original miners with only candle's for the working day. Bloody hell! Also i was Impressed by the brick/cobble tunnel where you first went in. James in the money too treating everyone to MS teacakes at cupa time. Cheers DougT in Mancs

Wow what a belter that was , great tie in with the colliery a few weeks back

Yonks ago I said about these mate. There was Padiham power station From J8 on m65, go down the hill and you can see brick columns on your left, vent shafts. At the bottom of the road there’s Altham. It has a capped off colliery thing with the triangle thing

Another great video Martin zero So much history up on those moors

Love Mine Shafts, especialy brick lined, something really interesting about them, especialy when you can look down them. Great video martin 🏆💪

Brilliant, excellent, so interesting and informative. Well done to you all. Very brave men. Thank you

Fascinating trip! Thanks! The common way to "cap" shafts in that era was to chuck a load of wood down and backfill with earth. Over time the wood rots, leaving an earth plug. This can collapse, taking most of the ginging with it! (By the way, don't whistle in mines - it upsets the knockers)

Finally one where you needed waders and DIDNT leave them in the car 👢🚗🤣🤣🧱👍🏼

great video as always martin

Those dead man's walls remind me of a procedure in old private and cooperative mines in New Zealand. When an area was worked out, the entrances to it would be walled off. This reduced the amount of ventilation that needed to be constantly carried out by partially or later (with modern concrete walls) completely sealing those parts of the mine.

Another great video Martin thank you 😊 😎😎

Fascinating stuff! Brings back memories of a trip down an active coal mine when I was an apprentice, but that tramway looked in better condition than some of the workings we were taken through where the corrugated steel archway had been compressed. It either was compressed into a triangular shape as the edges were pushed in, or sometimes into a sort of M shape where the roof pushed the centre of the arch downwards, I did not like seeing dust falling out of the roof, those miners may have been well paid, but they deserved every penny! I couldn't have worked down there. Great video, always good to see you and them there Monkeys!

You can have going into those places thankful that you do it and its great to see these wonderful old places

That was fabulous thanks. Love tunnels they are so fascinating. Pleased you didn’t go alone. Thanks for taking me along, tho I had to squeeze a little going down the hole, lol. Please stay safe and take care

You certainly have some amazing adventures , just imagine the hard life those early miners had thanks from NZ

Yet another exhilarating journey. Fabulous. Thanks for that Martin 👍👍😎

Another fascinating video lads. What an adventure. Thank you for doing and showing. 😀

Cool old coal mine interesting video friend thank you once again for another great video please keep the great videos coming 👍

Wonderful video and very interesting!

Very interesting, great video.

Omg this was so cool. Ty for sharing!

I would appreciate a cool mine in this hot weather. Nice walk! Stay safe, post more.

Another excellent video - the best thing I have seen in ages! Very interesting, thanks all.

That stone arch tunnel is pretty incredible. Still in half decent shape, too. If that was concrete it would’ve been collapsed and buried after 50 years…

Great vid, and hello from Waterfoot!

This video is absolutely fantastic.Many years ago I went in one very similar near Wigan.

Wow Martin uploaded two years ago and I missed it , came up on recommended today so I am watching it .

Another name for "dead mans walls" is "gobbing" and they are sometimes used to hold up backfill/spoil, rather than remove the spoil from deeper tunnels, narrow ones especially they just build chest high or so walls like that, fill behind them with loose waste and then build it to the top. Messing with those can be a bad idea, it can all fall out onto you.

I always find it amazing that you never know what’s underneath your feet. Great video.

Good explore as always. Just think of all the places that have been forgotten about and are waiting to be rediscovered.

14:00... This tunnel is AMAZING.!🤯!. Just think about how much work went into building that.!🧐😲🤯!. LOVE THE VIDS KEEP'EM COMING RICH(UK) 🥰🥰🥰.

Brilliant explore, great stuff , cheers guys

Great video! Loved the tramway tunnel. Monday morning wouldn't be the same without a Martin Zero vid!

I watched this with fascination, sometimes finding I was holding my breath! The same feeling I got when having an MRI🙂. The rock-lined tunnels were so beautifully made - look how old they are and mostly still standing. Thanks for being brave enough to go exploring and bringing the adventure to us.

Proper enthusiastic lads those Monkeys, loving the collabs recently, great teamwork.

in the uk they are called deads in the usa they are called gobbing and the dead man walls are made from the deads and more than likely to shore up a weak spot where they have mined out , here in the high peak the coal seems were around 2-3ft thick and were called "yard coal" due to them being about a yard high and the addits were called "day eyes" presumably you got so far in and the entrance looked like an eye of daylight , in my area i think in the 80s they were doing some work i think to extend a school car park and found a capped shaft (this was a surprise) which after some research turned out to be some 180ft deep the only problem is that the map they eventually found showed the shaft connected to a tunnel that runs under the town and it shows 3 other shafts that connect to the same tunnel system and they (as far as i know ) are not sure where the other 3 shafts are lol.

Thanks for the video Martin, totally appreciate what you do. It's a totally different world down there it must have been pretty crap conditions for all that worked in these mines. Thanks for comments from other people about things down there!!😎🐓🐓🐓🇬🇧

Lovely video, Martin. That was a hell of a place! Felt totally different to last week's stone mine.

“At one with the mine” love it lol 😂

Thank you Martin and the monkeys, that was excellent, again. Really interesting, all that work all those years ago chasing a 10 or 12 inch seam of coal, it must have been worth it though.

At 32:58 you are in a deeper/higher tunnel and there's a drill mark. they would have followed the upper seam and then dug out the floor of the access way to get to the lower seams, hence the very high tunnel. Sometimes the old workers would put wooden boarding across the tunnel and push any waste rock up onto the boards, rather than hauling it all the way out of the mine - so sometimes what looks like a wooden roof to the tunnel actually has tonnes of waste rock sitting on top of it...

Another GREAT one .Cheers Martin and all.

Wow...great stuff Martin...😮

Great video the shaft up on the moors looked scary not knowing what lies beneath the nettles a few feet down. The mine was fantastic perfectly straight stone walls all built by hand and still standing to this day apart from the odd part. You traveled a good distance before you reached the coal seam it shows you how deep these seems are and to think kids used to push the karts along. Thank you and the Northern Monkeys for showing us these fantastic places of history.

Dead man's walls were to block the air from a burning coal seam. There would, originally, have been a clay seal, but the water has washed the clay away. This is why you see a puddling type clay on the floor the lads were walking through.

Awesome, very interesting! Mad how they chased such a thin seam of coal!

Another Epic Explore 👍👍

Fascinating stuff! Thanks for posting.

Beautiful stone work at the pumping station. Very interesting but, that mine seemed too dangerous. Glad that you all got out okay.

I loved the way all you guy's were going along shouting out to one another with all the collapsed parts around only to clamber over and press on! I loved the part when you asked 'What church have we just joined'🤣

Very interesting seeing the coal that they mined and thinking the shaft is small because of the child labour also the deadman’s wall must stop you from going to shafts that are too dangerous great video Martin and the lads from burnley

Another great video Martin

A great explore hello from Australia

Jeez, Martin! That tramway tunnel was pretty ropy in parts! What’s with the tiny hole to get in? Had it been filled in at one time and, later, someone found the entrance and weaseled in? That was one thin coal seam too. Can’t have been a very productive concern, but coal was valuable.

A great vid lads, good fun. Thank you.

Fantastic video. I've not watched your videos for a couple of months so definitely into this one. Glad I'm back. Them Northern Monkeys ate bonkers, and brilliant!! Wonder if they they used to go to Cross Keys back in the day! I need to go back to my Burnley family tree and see if I can see where my collier ancestors used to work!

Beautiful country!

You never cease to amaze me with your stunning videos. Great work!

When you talk about the buckets for lowering men into the shaft, the term used is 'kibble' - its a normal method for when the shaft is being deepened, before wooden or steel guides are put in to allow a 'cage' to be used to move men up and down the shaft.