Can Anyone Remember Handsworth Coal Mine

Is there anyone out there who used to work at the handsworth coal mine (not orgreave ) was it called waverly,or nunery? and can remember in what year it closed down or did you have any family work there?

My Dad was one of the last miners at the Handsworth pit,because of his health he finished work on the pit top & I went down with my kid brother to pick him up with my eldest brother & we used to go in the showers & my Dad told us stories about a 3 legged rat,my kid brother was a miner as well,he works on the rail lines know.

Originally posted by jacklev1

Is there anyone out there who used to work at the handsworth coal mine (not orgreave ) was it called waverly,or nunery? and can remember in what year it closed down or did you have any family work there?

It was called Handsworth Nunnery, often reffered to as Handsworth Colliery. Orginally operated by the Nunnery Colliery Co. until nationalised in 1947, the shaft was sunk between 1901 - 1903, production ceased due to exhaustion of reserves in October 1967.

I believe the Nunnery colliery (Handsworth) was somewhere round the back of what is now Handsworth working mens club but not definite.

Originally posted by Gingerbarf

I believe the Nunnery colliery (Handsworth) was somewhere round the back of what is now Handsworth working mens club but not definite.

There is a housing estate behind Handsworth WMC and has been since 1968.

To find the remains of Handsworth Colliery of which some of its buildings and pit managers house are still standing and used today. You need to drive along Handsworth Road from the ASDA toward Handsworth, take the left turn immediately after the Norfolk Arms pub and into Finchwell Road, keep following the road as far as it goes past the houses untill it goes down hill and turns into a dirt track and on the left hand side you will find Handsworth Colliery.

I used to play out there as a kid. I recall the entrance to the pit which was flattened some years ago and there used to be the wash rooms and winch gear. I am not sure what is left now but I wish I had taken some pictures.

There is another way to it from Finchewll Road. Take the 2nd left into Halesworth Road and keep going, the road veers to the right and runs parallel to the parkway for a while before ending at where the pit used to be.

If you go the way mentioned above, there are a couple of houses to go past that are a bit scary, right by where the road runs out.

It was the Handsworth Miners that built the swimming pool in Bowden Homestead Woods. It was cleared away when the Parkway was built.

I can remember it as a child it was surrounded by railway sleepers but it was long out of use in the fifties but the water was always ice cold even in the hottest summer.

Originally posted by Bloomdido

I used to play out there as a kid. I recall the entrance to the pit which was flattened some years ago and there used to be the wash rooms and winch gear. I am not sure what is left now but I wish I had taken some pictures.

 

There is another way to it from Finchewll Road. Take the 2nd left into Halesworth Road and keep going, the road veers to the right and runs parallel to the parkway for a while before ending at where the pit used to be.

 

If you go the way mentioned above, there are a couple of houses to go past that are a bit scary, right by where the road runs out.

i also used to play there as a kid,we used to go up on what we called the red hill and make dens and light fires,also one time one of the "big lads" told us that there was still money in one of the office safes,we spent most of the six weeks holidays knocking a hole in the wall,when we finally got in we found an empty biscuit tin in a cuboard:|

Originally posted by jacklev1

Is there anyone out there who used to work at the handsworth coal mine (not orgreave ) was it called waverly,or nunery? and can remember in what year it closed down or did you have any family work there?

It was called Nunnery, My grandad worked there not sure when he finished work due to ill health i'll try and foind out from my mum

Wattsy is your Grandad still alive

When the pit closed the miners took some of the old davy lamps and signal lamps to the Cross Keys.

They were a nice piece of local history.

Unfortunately when the landlord left he took them all with him.

This seemed very wrong to me. They were left to the pub and local community, not him.

Check out:

http://www.picturesheffield.co.uk/cgi-bin/picturesheffield.pl?_cgifunction=form&_layout=picturesheffield&keyval=sheff.id=9827

or 'Nunnery' on the search engine.

http://www.picturesheffield.com