tarboat's photos with the keyword: ginney

George Hargreaves & Co sank the shaft of Grimebridge Colliery in 1851 and soon after a 'ginny road' was built across the moors to transport the coal tubs to the road up the valley from Waterfoot. At the site of the Fox Hill colliery the chain hauled line became a steep incline which crossed a wooden viaduct and then passed through a long tunnel to reach the staith. The line operated for at least 90 years before the coal was routed through the hill to a wharf near Old Meadows on the Bacup to Burnley road. These are the remains of the viaduct on the incline from Fox Hill to the staith at Whitewell Bottom. The wooden viaduct would have been supported on these stone piers

George Hargreaves & Co sank the shaft of Grimebridge Colliery in 1851 and soon after a 'ginny road' was built across the moors to transport the coal tubs to the road up the valley from Waterfoot. At the site of the Fox Hill colliery the chain hauled line became a steep incline which crossed a wooden viaduct and then passed through a long tunnel to reach the staith. The line operated for at least 90 years before the coal was routed through the hill to a wharf near Old Meadows on the Bacup to Burnley road. These are the remains of the viaduct on the incline from Fox Hill to the staith at Whitewell Bottom. The wooden viaduct would have been supported on these stone piers

Cornfield Colliery was operated by The Exors of John Hargreaves but closed in February 1897 after a dispute over mining rights under Gawthorpe Hall although it was retained for pumping in connection with Habergham Colliery. The shaft collapsed, taking the pumping equipment with it, in March 1933. The pit was connected by a chain ginney to a landsale wharf in Padiham. This line continued to run after the closure of Cornfield Pit as it had by that time been connected by an extension to Habergham Colliery which finally closed in 1941 due to labour shortages. Turning the direction of tubs on a chain hauled line was quite a complicated business involving the detaching of the tubs from the haulage chain before the change of direction and their reattachment afterwards. The operation was supposed to be automatic but there are many tales of problems which often necessitated a man being placed at the turn to supervise the operation. This image shows the remains of the turning block close to Grove Lane to the east of Padiham. The substantial construction reflects the heavy loads and hard use to which it was put.

Habergham Colliery was sunk by The Exors of John Hargreaves in 1868-70 and distributed its coal by cart until around 1900 when a chain ginney line was built to connect at Cornfield Colliery with the ginney to Padiham. This line incorporated a tunnel under Tipping Hill Plantation and a turning point at about half way. The colliery operated until 1941 when a shortage of labour cause Hargreaves Collieries to close the pit and transfer the men to their other workings. Turning the direction of tubs on a chain hauled line was quite a complicated business involving the detaching of the tubs from the haulage chain before the change of direction and their reattachment afterwards. The operation was supposed to be automatic but there are many tales of problems which often necessitated a man being placed at the turn to supervise the operation. This image shows the remains of the turning pillars above Cornfield Farm. The substantial construction reflects the heavy loads and hard use to which it was put.