Black Gold of Old - Coppice Colliery Traditional Cache
Black Gold of Old - Coppice Colliery
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(small)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
With grateful thanks to the soggy-campers for allowing us to extend the Black Gold of Old series.
The cache is located on the site of the old Coppice (aka Fairlady) Colliery at Heath Hayes.
It's now a lovely area and makes a short circular walk with excellent views.
You may be lucky and see deer or lapwings as I did when hiding the cache.
Parking is available at the co-ords below but as it's gated it may be closed at dusk so use the alternative access below.
THE COPPICE COLLIERY
Coppice Colliery began its 71 year life in 1893 before finally closing in 1964. It took two years to sink the two shafts to the 12 coal seams some 292m below, the spoil being dumped on the heathland and grassland surrounding the pit head.
Lady Hanbury was an important person to Coppice Colliery. It was she that cut the first turf in 1893 and was the nominated "Coalmaster". Lady Hanbury's progressive attitude towards the welfare of the 500 miners led to the pit becoming known locally as 'The Fair Lady' or 'Lady Pit'. During the general strike of 1926 Lady Hanbury frequently visited the pit bringing soup and sandwiches. She also allowed for men and women to pick coal from the spoil mound.
In 1954 a modernised Coppice Colliery achieved a National record of 4 tons of coal per manshift, the national average at the time was just 1.3 tons.
From the 1950's to its closure Coppice Colliery pumped 27 Million gallons of water out annually.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
ZGG - haqre n ebpx