Opencast Mining Papers

WWM/O/1-73, 75-78, 85-89

The files consist of letter addressed to the Agent at the Estate Office by the Opencast Executive of the Ministry of Fuel and Power (the earliest letters are from the Ministry of Mines) and the Opencast Executive of the National Coal Board, by the Ministry of Works and by the Agricultural Land Service of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, together with carbon copies of some of the outgoing correspondence, about sites requisitioned for opencast mining during the war of 1939-1945 and during the post-war years. The earliest letters date from 1941-1942 but the majority of them 1943 or later. Many of the files cover a period of 15 years or more, because after the opencast working was finished the site was restored and worked as agricultural land for a period of five years by the Agricultural Land Service of the Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries before it was de-requisitioned, and there might then be a need for post-derequisition drainage. There are not many letters later than 1962, but a few files continue up to c.1980.

The bulk has been reduced by eliminating ephemeral material, duplicate copies and correspondence relating to such trivial or temporary matters as minor trespass by the contractors, details about fencing, etc.

Certain files relating to sites near Wentworth Woodhouse and the Park, and to the first site to be worked (Burying Lane), have been left almost intact, as being of special interest. These have been noted in the list. Some of the files were obviously incomplete when received.

Files usually begin with requisition notices to which plans of the site are attached, followed by a schedule of conditions drawn up and agreed before working began; the schedules give detailed descriptions of the land and its uses, boundaries, drainage and buildings.

Comparatively little relates to the period when working was in progress, although there is some correspondence about problems that arose during this period. The bulk of the correspondence relates to the restoration of the land after working was finished. Restoration meetings were held on the site and further meetings to agree on details of cropping, fencing, drainage, etc. Usually minutes of the meetings were taken and circulated but these have not always survived and, in any case, it is clear that minutes were not always taken. In some files there are letters from tenants with complaints about the restoration. When the land was ready for derequisition, notices were sent, claims for compensation agreed and a drainage agreement signed. Finally, in many cases there was further correspondence on post-derequisition drainage. The files vary considerably in the amount of information they supply. Some contain large-scale plans of the site and these have been noted if they are of special interest. A number contain the final drainage plan but the majority do not.

The opencast sites have been listed alphabetically with a note to identify them if this seemed necessary

<span class="wrapper"><p>WWM/O/74, 79-84 were withdrawn by the depositor in 1982:</p> <p>WWM/O/74 Wentworth Woodhouse (a large part of the Park)</p> <p>This file has not been weeded; the correspondence relates mostly to protest against the opencast working. The correspondence relating to the working and restoration has possibly been filed under Deer Park and Trowles Wood and/or Doric. 1943-1946</p> <p>WWM/P/79 Opencast papers relating to abandoned sites</p> <p>Abdy, Barbot Green, Billingley Green, Bluebell (Kilnhurst), Brampton Hall, Brightside, Brinsworth, Brook (near Lee Brook in Brampton Bierlow), Bullwood (Tankersley), Cinder Bridge, Clay Field (near Linthwaite), Corton wood, Cortworth, Daniel Lane (Nether Haugh), Denaby, Dyson (Swinton), Fearnleys (Hoyland Common), Goldthorpe, Gorrell (near Lee Brook), Harley Spring, Hemingfield, Henley, Hoober Hall, Hooton Common, Hooton Gorse, Howdike Lane (Hooton Roberts), Kilnhust, Kingswood, Lapwater Farm, Linthwaite, Little Park (Great Houghton), Low Common (Scholes), Low Harley, Luke Spring (near Hoober Hill), Mangham (Greasborough), Melton, Milton (Hoyland Nether), Newhill, Norcross (Tinsley), Oaken Greave (Thorpe Hesley), Piccadilly (south of Swinton), Pilley, Plantation (Hoober Hill), Poplars (Brinsworth), Potters Farm (Greasborough), Quarry Lane (Millhouses near Darfield), Raikes Wood (Great Houghton), Sandhill (Great Houghton), Stand Cottage (Hoober Bank), Thornwell, Timothy Springs (Worsbrough), Wath Wood, White Lane (near Chapeltown), Winterbottom (near Bromley Carr)</p> <p>WWM/O/80 Blasting</p> <p>Correspondence relating to protests against blasting and claims for damage caused by it especially in Wentworth, including the mansion and the church. 1944-1950</p> <p>WWM/O/81 General correspondence</p> <p>Including protests about the workings, visits by ministers, summary list of sites in 1953 and map (n.d.), complaints of damage, note of time spent on opencast work by the Estate Office, some correspondence relating to restoration which affected a number of sites, letters from a journalist writing an article on opencast mining, letters from other landowners, etc. 1943-1961</p> <p>WWM/O/82 Council for the Preservation of Rural England</p> <p>Correspondence to enlist the help of the Council in protests against opencast working. 1944-1953</p> <p>WWM/O/83 Letters of sympathy for protests against opencast working</p> <p>Many from local people 1945-1950</p> <p>WWM/O/84 Colliery leases</p> <p>Some correspondence from Newman &amp; Bond and Durnford &amp; Thomlinson about unleased minerals. Includes a summary of uncompleted coal leases</p> <p>1925-1939</p> <p>See WWM/MD/6184-6187 for some records of a District Officer of the West Riding County Agricultural Committee (War Agricultural Committee) which relate to the same area, c.1952-1956</p></span>

These files of correspondence were transferred from Wentworth Woodhouse Estate Office in July 1972

The files were withdrawn by the Estate Office in 1982, and most were returned to Sheffield Archives in 1986. (Files WWM/O/74 and WWM/O/79-84 were not returned.)

In some cases the contents of files that had previously been listed separately had been amalgamated - where this happened it has been noted in the list

In some cases more recent papers, up to c.1980, had been added to the original files

Files WWM/O/85-89 were new files relating to proposals for opencast mining, 1975-1980, deposited in 1986

On a number of sites prospecting was done but it was then decided not to proceed with opencast working for one reason or another. There are also a few sites which apparently were not worked, although there is no formal 'abandonment' notice, and files in both these categories (WWM/O/79-84) were withdrawn by the depositor in 1982. Also withdrawn were a few files relating to general subjects, and not to specific sites