May/June Newsletter now out
We now have a new entrance to the site and two workdays are planned for the 1st and 22nd of June
See "read More"
Workdays progress
Although terminated fairly soon by heavy rain a successful day was had on the 1st June where much of the recent growth was cut back.
The next work day is on June 22nd, by which much of the upper spoil heap should have disappeared!
After permission was confirmed by English Heritage a start has been made removing the spoil heaps which date from the1980s. The spoil comprises mainly of topsoil, with a few rocks, and even the occasional piece of coal. A few finds were made, including a couple of Jam Jar lids, which might be datable, mostly fairly recent. A clay pipe which should come from the period of mine working was also found. Lots of soil left, anyone who knows of a good home let us know.
The Project
The Ram Hill colliery in Coalpit Heath was once the hub of 19th century coal mining in Westerleigh parish. It was the terminus of the dramway, which was built in 1828 and was probably the last railway in England designed to use horses as a means of locomotion (the Rainhill trials the following year heralded the use of steam).
It is a mystery why the dramway ended here. A number of plans exist showing the proposed route of the dramway, but none showed it ending up at Ram Hill. This conundrum, and others, are revealed in a new study.
Excavations
The fact that the site survives at all is a fluke. The Great Western Railway bought the area for its new direct route from South Wales to London. In the end the cutting stopped just north of the site. The mine lay forgotten until 1981 when a local archaeologist, John Cornwell, rediscovered it. Then the high unemployment of the 1980s led to a number of job creation schemes, one of which was to carry out comprehensive work at the site. This took place in 1987, but funds ran out and it was never completed.
Then a Bristol University MA student, Bridget Hetzel, embarked on a study there and volunteers came in to help clear the site. The results have been spectacular: it has already been cleared of recent growth and we will be removing two spoil heaps which were formed during earlier excavations. This will expose more of the dramway, and hopefully the boiler house for the steam engine.
Preserving the site
We are well on the way to securing the longtime management of the site. We hope to maintain a balance between archaeology and ecology by maintaining it as a grassed area.
Work has begun on removing the upper spoil heap. There is a long way to go and we are looking for sites who would like the material. A sone base marked on the limited plans of the site has been partially exposed, it looks like a chimney base - so the elusive boiler house may not be far away
Geophysical survey
A geophysical survey at Ram Hill Colliery has revealed clear traces of a reservoir in the northern corner of the site. The method of remote sensing was restivity, which had not been expected to give good results due to the nature of the ground. It was carried out for the Friends of Ram Hill Colliery by local enthusiasts Sagascan. The results will be used to inform those conserving the site.
Pictures
Visit the Winterbourne website for views of the site.