L2023_5366 Bersham Colliery - a photo on Flickriver

L2023_5366 Bersham Colliery

Number 2 shaft headstock and winding engine house. The last surviving mine headstock in the North Wales Coalfield. Grade II* Listed. December 16, 2023

For more photographs of Bersham Colliery please click here: www.jhluxton.com/Industrial-Archaeology/Mines-and-Collier...

Bersham Colliery was a large coal mine located near Rhostyllen in Wrexham County Borough, adjacent to the Great Western Railway main line between Chester and Shrewsbury.

When the colliery first opened it was named Glan-yr-Afon (English: Riverside) Colliery. Operated by Bersham Coal Company, the first shaft was sunk in 1864 on the site of a brickworks however due to difficulties the pit did not reach the main coal seams and the site was left abandoned until 1871 when the pit was deepened by new owners, the Barnes family of Liverpool; coal production started in 1874 with two shafts; No.1 at a diameter of 10 feet and depth of 420 yards, and No.2 shaft at a diameter of 12 feet and a depth of 421 yards.

The colliery worked for six years without major incident until 1880, when a major underground explosion killed nine men, among them the colliery manager, William Pattison. In 1896, there were 711 men working at both shafts.

Another explosion killed a number of men in 1909. This was the final major incident at Bersham, barring another in 1933, when the timber headgear burned to the ground. Replacement headgear which still stands today was purchased and moved from the nearby Gatewen Colliery at Broughton, Wrexham.

Mechanisation of working commenced in 1935.

Ownership during this time appeared to change between Broughton & Plas Power Coal Co. Ltd and Bersham Colliery Company Ltd, with ownership changing several times, with Broughton & Plas Power Coal Co. Ltd finally retaining ownership of the mine up until nationalisation in 1947.

The colliery was modernised in 1954 with a new block housing new pithead baths, canteen and offices designed to cater for up to 1,100 men.

In 1961, more mechanisation was brought into the mine, including conveyor belts to convey coal to the surface faster.
Bersham Colliery was closed with the loss of 480 jobs in December 1986 due to unfavourable economic conditions and loss of markets.

Salvage work on underground equipment continued into 1987.

The most prominent landmark left by the colliery is that of its spoil tip, known as Bersham Tip.

In 2003, a company called Bersham Glenside Ltd announced controversial plans to remove the tip and sell it to the building industry. Wrexham County Borough Council eventually refused planning permission for this to take place, and Cadw recommended the tip remain.

Most of the surface buildings were demolished shortly after closure with the main exceptions of the No.2 headgear, and its engine house complete with electric winding gear.

Other remaining buildings have remained as part of a small industrial estate. The site is owned by Wrexham County Borough Council. The Shropshire Mines Trust attempted to establish a museum on the site of the number two headgear in 2000/01, however, this was unsuccessful.

The site is occasionally opened to the public by the North Wales Miners Trust Association during the Spring and Summer.

Taken in: UK / Wales / Esclusham / Rhostyllen (show map)

Taken on: December 16, 2023

Tags:

2023

Bersham

Bersham Colliery

Bersham Colliery Company Ltd

Broughton & Plas Power Coal Co. Ltd

Cymru

Glan-yr-Afon Colliery

Industrial Archaeology

Industrial Heritage

John H. Luxton Photography

Leica

Leica Vlux5

Rhostyllen

Wales

Wrexham County Borough

Y Bers

www.jhluxton.com

Wrexham

United Kingdom

monochrome

mono

blackandwhite

B&W « less

Sets appears in: • Mines of Wales • Industrial Archaeology more » • Wales « less

Groups appears in: • Leica • BLACK AND WHITE PHOTO HEAVEN! more » • B&W • Wales • Mines & Mining • Monochromatic world • Wales and the Welsh • North Wales, UK • White and Black Photography • Leica Digital • iNDuStRIaL aBanDoNmENt • cymru flickr wales • Industrial Wales • Arqueología - Industrial - Archaeology • Industrial Architecture/ Archaeology UK • Industrial Archaeology • Monochrome Britain (no colour splashes) • The End of Industry • Leica Black and White • North Wales • B+W • Celtic Lands • MINING • Leica digicams • I Love Black and White! • Colliery & Mine Photos • Industrial Landscapes - 工場萌え • INDUSTRIAL LANDSCAPES & INDUSTRIAL STRUCTURES OLD AND NEW. • Welsh History/Hanes Cymru • Wrexham • World of B&W + Sepia & other monochrome • Britain In Black And White • Gogledd-ddwyrain Cymru / North-East Wales • Cymru Ni - Our Wales • North East Wales • Welsh Industrial Ruins • Industrial Archaeology / Architecture (North) • Daily Post North Wales • LEICA Compact Cameras (Post 1 - Award 2) • Welsh History • Welsh photography • Photos of Wales(Cymru) • LEICA PICS • WORLD MINING HERITAGE ⚒ • Industrial Archaeology in Wales • Abandoned Mines • Wales, UK • Mining Heritage • AN IMAGE FROM KHUMRI WALES (No Limit 30/60 Group) • Leica enthusiast • Amateur Photographer Magazine • Taken in Wales • This is Wales - photos and videos welcome. [No 30/60 limit.] • A MILL AND MINE • INDUSTRY WORLD • Black&white123 • IndustrialWorldWide • CELTICA - Photos of Celtic Countries and Culture • Ffotograff Cymru • Wales - History & Beauty « less

Camera: LEICA CAMERA AG V-Lux 5, f/5.6, 1/200 sec, 9.1mm, ISO 200 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	LEICA CAMERA AG V-Lux 5
Aperture:	f/5.6
Exposure Time:	0.005 sec (1/200)
Focal Length:	9.1mm
ISO:	200
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Manual
Gain Control:	Low gain up
Saturation:	High
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop 25.3 (Windows)
Show full info

Stats: 1,534 views / 2 comments