Seams
Exposed the Strata Dip. Looking towards Bolsover on the Arkwright Opencast.
Coal Seams.
As Recorded in the Area and explained hopefully correctly by myself.
This list is a theoretical list of seams, a seam may be washed out and missing replaced by rock, faults may also have displaced seams.
Middle Coal Measures.
Seams in descending order from the surface.
HIGH MAIN OR UPPER SILKSTONE.
FIRST WALES.
SECOND WALES.
SWINTON POTTERY COAL.
CLOWN or MAIN HARD.
MAIN BRIGHT or FOX EARTH.
TWO FOOT or SOUGH COAL. Split seam.
FURNACE or LOW BRIGHT COAL.
HIGH HAZELS, BEAMSHAW or BRINSLEY THIN
CINDERHILL COAL.
FIRST SAINT JOHNS.
SECOND SAINT JOHNS
COMB COAL...............................................................
TOP HARD COAL or BARNSLEY............................TOP HARD COAL.
DUNSIL or BOTTOM COAL
TOP FIRST WATERLOO............................................
BOTTOM FIRST WATERLOO..................................FIRST WATERLOO
WATERLOO MARKER, BARCELONA or BLOCKING COAL
TOP SECOND WATERLOO........................................
BOTTOM SECOND WATERLOO..............................SECOND WATERLOO.
THIRD WATERLOO.
FOURTH WATERLOO.
FIRST ELL COAL or SUTTON COAL.
SECOND ELL COAL.
Lower Coal Measures.
BROWN RAKE COAL.
JOAN COAL.
CHAVERY OR BLACK RAKE COAL.........................
SITWELL or DUNSTON...............................................CLAY CROSS SOFT.
ROOF SOFT.
DEEP SOFT.
ROOF COAL.
SMITHIES.
DEEP HARD, POTTERS, POT HOUSE, TOWNEND, DEEP END or SQUIRES
FIRST PIPER.......................
SECOND PIPER......TOWNEND THIN, PANCAKE, PIPER or PARKGATE COAL.
COCKLESHELL.......................................................
LOW TUPTON.........................................................TUPTON COAL or LOW MAIN.
THREEOUARTER, TUPTON THREEQUARTER or LEES COAL.
YARD COAL......................................................................
BLACKSHALE..................................................................SILKSTONE COAL
ASHGATE or BRAMPTON THIN. (Top leaf called hand coal).
UPPER BRAMPTON or MICKLEY THIN.
LOWER BRAMPTON or WALKERS COAL.
KILBURN or GRENOSIDE SANDSTONE COAL.
NORTON.
FORTY YARDS COAL.
ALTON COAL.
FlRST SMALLEY.
SECOND SMALLEY.
HOLBROOK COAL.
BELPERLAWN OR SOFT BED COAL.
BASLOW COAL.
Ironstone Rakes.
1]. UNNAMED ABOVE THE TOP HARDS COAL.
2]. MEASURE AND BALL or INKERSALL RAKE ABOVE THE TOP HARD COAL.
3]. UNNAMED BETWEEN TOP HARD AND DUNSIL COAL.
4]. GORSEY KNOLL or REDFERN RAKE BETWEEN DUNSIL AND SECOND WATERLOO.
5]. STRANG RAKE ABOVE FIRST ELL COAL.
6]. BUFF or CEMENT RAKE BETWEEN CHAVERY & SECOND ELL COAL.
7]. PINDER PARK RAKE ABOVE CHAVERY COAL.
8]. POOR RAKE ABOVE DEEP HARD COAL.
9]. SPRING or RIDDINGS RAKE BELOW PIPER COAL.
10]. DOGTOOTH RAKE ABOVE THE COCKLESHELL OR TUPTON SEAM.
11]. THREEOUARTER BALLS ABOVE THREEOUARTER COAL.
12]. BLACKSHALE RAKE ABOVE YARD OR SILKSTONE COAL.
13]. BACKONFLITCH RAKE ABOVE KILBURN COAL.
1,5,7 Mined chiefly in the Chesterfield area. 11 in Clay Cross. 6,8,9,13 in the Alfreton area. 10,12 mined in all areas.
The Blackshale Rake was by far the most important.
Ironstone, Clay and other minerals are to be found layered between the coal seams.
Remains of Old Workings. Arkwright First Waterloo 1950’s-1960’s
