A Visit to Woodend Mining Museum

On a glorious Summer’s day 16 members gathered at Smithson Farm near Burnley. We were greeted by the owner Carole Johnson for a short presentation about the museum. Carole explained that when she and her husband Harry bought the land in 2009 they had no idea that it was the site of the former Woodend Colliery. On clearing the land they found old rusty tools which had belonged to the miners when the colliery closed in 1959.  From a few rusty tools the  collection has grown into a super little museum housed in a former stable block at the farm.

We were shown round the museum by former miner, Alan, who described what life was like working down t’pit.  Alan began his apprenticeship with the National Coal Board at Bank Hall Pit in Burnley in 1965 and when that closed down he, along with many other miners, transferred to Hapton Valley which was the last working mine in this area.  He told us that the NCB introduced mechanisation to the mines which meant that the coal reserves became depleted more rapidly.  Alan obviously has fond memories of his mining days, especially of the men he worked with.

The museum also houses a good collection of fossils and coal balls or ‘bobbers‘ which are spherical shaped lumps of ironstone found in the Burnley coal seams.

During our visit we were able to see the concrete cover marking the top of the Woodend Colliery shaft and the newly restored winding gear wheel which has just gone on display. Richard explained this was the emergency third wheel powered by a separate engine in case the main engine failed.