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Tag Archives: Grove Colliery
90 years ago today: The Grove Pit Disaster
Ninety years ago today, the 1st October 1930, an underground blast killed 14 men working in a coal mine, The Grove Colliery, underneath Brownhills Common. Ten of those lost souls are buried in the Churchyard of St James, Brownhills, in … Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, Environment, Events, Followups, It makes me mad!, Local History, Local media, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Alan Paul, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Brownhills mining disater, Chasewaterstuff, colliers, Grove Colliery, Grove pit, local blogs, Local History, Mine disaster, miners, Staffordshire, The men below, Wyrley common, Wyrley Grove
4 Comments
Living next door to the Grove – what do you know?
Last year I featured a very popular set of images from a place I genuinely didn’t realise still existed: The Grove Colliery, the remnants of which – the house and offices situated just off Lime Lane, between Pelsall, Brownhills, Norton and Great Wyrley – were documented by old pal of the blog Simon Swain and drone wizard Steve Martin also captured the site from the air.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Shared media, Shared memories, Spotted whilst browsing the web
Tagged archive, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Canal, Canal and River Trust, Cannock Extension Canal, colliery, Derelict, Disaster, Events, freight, Grove, Grove Colliery, House, images, Lichfield, local blogs, Local History, mining, New Photos, Norton, photos, pit, pits, Redevelopment, Si Swain, Simon, Staffordshire, Things to do, tramway, viaduct, Wyrley common
1 Comment
The Grove Colliery – remembering a lost pit
Last year I featured a very popular set of images from a place I genuinely didn’t realise still existed: The Grove Colliery, the remnants of which – the house and offices situated just off Lime Lane, between Pelsall, Brownhills, Norton and Great Wyrley – were documented by old pal off the blog Simon Swain and posted here as a gallery I include below.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Shared media, Shared memories, Spotted whilst browsing the web
Tagged archive, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Canal, Canal and River Trust, Cannock Extension Canal, colliery, Derelict, Disaster, Events, freight, Grove, Grove Colliery, House, images, Lichfield, local blogs, Local History, mining, New Photos, Norton, photos, pit, pits, Redevelopment, Si Swain, Simon, Staffordshire, Things to do, tramway, viaduct, Wyrley common
16 Comments
Was the investigation into the Grove Pit Disaster a whitewash?
The 1st October 2016 was the 86th anniversary of the worst modern-day pit disaster in our area, the Grove Pit Disaster, in which fourteen miners perished following an explosion a mile and a half below Brownhills Common, beneath the Ring Sun Inn.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Events, Followups, It makes me mad!, Local History, Local media, Local politics, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Accident, amputated, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Brownhills mining disater, Chasewaterstuff, coal mines, colliers, colliery, Coppy Pit, Derbyshire, Dora, Elizabeth, Features, Gill, Grove Colliery, Grove pit, Joesbury, leg, local blogs, Local History, Lost, Mine disaster, Mine rescue, miners, Mines rescue, mining, Newhall, Solomon Fox, Staffordshire, Sutton in Ashfield, The men below, Walsall Wood, Walsall Wood Colliery, Walsall Wood Pit, Whitehouse, William Harrison, Wyrley common, Wyrley Grove
5 Comments
All that remains of the last one standing
Following my feature yesterday on perhaps the last passenger train to ever traverse the line from Aldridge to the Conduit Colliery in Norton Canes, Simon Swain has sent me a great gallery of images of the Grove Colliery site as it is today.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Shared media, Shared memories, Spotted whilst browsing the web
Tagged archive, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Canal, Canal and River Trust, Cannock Extension Canal, colliery, Derelict, Disaster, Events, freight, Grove, Grove Colliery, House, images, Lichfield, local blogs, Local History, mining, New Photos, Norton, photos, pit, pits, Redevelopment, Si Swain, Simon, Staffordshire, Things to do, tramway, viaduct, Wyrley common
25 Comments
A mine of information
In my last article, I pointed out that I’d received extra information on a couple of posts over the weekend – both on the Anglesey/sea question, and also on the Mine Rescue Team image shared by John Sale and Bill Mayo.
Posted in Cannock Chase, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Shared media, Shared memories, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged 1935, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Cannock Chase, cannock Chase jubilee souvenir, coal mines, colliery, Coppy Pit, David Evans, Features, Grove Colliery, Grove pit, jan Wilson, Local History, Mine rescue, mines recue cup, Mines rescue, mining, New Photos, Pedro, Peter Cutler, Staffordshire, Twitter, Walsall Wood, Walsall Wood Colliery, Walsall Wood Pit, William Harrison
4 Comments
Rescue me
The great Bill Mayo, local historian and photo collector, has recently been digging in his files and found a few mystery images, like the one above of a local mines rescue team.
Posted in Cannock Chase, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Shared media, Shared memories, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Brownhills, Brownhills local history, coal mines, colliery, Coppy Pit, David Evans, Features, Grove Colliery, Grove pit, Local History, Mine rescue, mines recue cup, Mines rescue, mining, New Photos, Pedro, Peter Cutler, Staffordshire, Twitter, Walsall Wood, Walsall Wood Colliery, Walsall Wood Pit, William Harrison
2 Comments
A town united in mourning
The Grove Pit Disaster that took the lives of fourteen men on October 1st, 1930 left deep scars on the Brownhills and Norton communities – and the funeral and memorial service for the men taken was a huge public event that drew massive crowds.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, Environment, Events, Followups, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Accident, Bill Mayo, Brownhills, Brownhills cemetery, Brownhills local history, Grove Colliery, Grove pit disaster, Janet Whittaker, John Bernard Whittaker, Local History, Mining accidents, mining memorials, New Photos, photos, Walsall Wood
4 Comments
A local mining accident – more information available
A couple of days ago I asked for information about a local mining accident, suffered by the Grandfather of reader Gill Joesbury, but the request it was a bit of a mission impossible, as we didn’t have a name to go on – since then, Gill has now been in touch with more information.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Features, Followups, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Accident, amputated, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, coal mines, colliery, Coppy Pit, Derbyshire, Dora, Elizabeth, Features, Gill, Grove Colliery, Grove pit, Joesbury, leg, Local History, Lost, Mine rescue, Mines rescue, mining, Newhall, Solomon Fox, Staffordshire, Sutton in Ashfield, Walsall Wood, Walsall Wood Colliery, Walsall Wood Pit, Whitehouse, William Harrison
6 Comments
A local mining accident – can you help?
Here’s a quick one to get the researchers scratching their heads – and it’s a very long shot, but please do what you can, I’ve asked for more information from Gill, and I’m hoping she’ll comment here.
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Features, Followups, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Accident, amputated, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, coal mines, colliery, Coppy Pit, Features, Gill, Grove Colliery, Grove pit, Joesbury, leg, Local History, Lost, Mine rescue, Mines rescue, mining, Staffordshire, Walsall Wood, Walsall Wood Colliery, Walsall Wood Pit, William Harrison
18 Comments
One of the last standing
Here’s the final blast of pictures from the mystery archive found by local historian Clive Roberts back at the beginning of November – these images are remarkable as the show the Grove Colliery on the Cannock Extension Canal at Lime Lane in 1958 and 1959, and I know of few extant images of the time – perhaps the only good representation being in the 1963 cinefilm of Brownhills, donated by Brian Stringer.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, News, Shared media, Shared memories, Spotted whilst browsing the web
Tagged 1968, 1969, 2015, archive, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Canal, Canal and River Trust, Cannock Extension Canal, freight, Grove Colliery, images, Lichfield, Local History, mining, New Photos, Norton, photos, pits, Staffordshire, Things to do, Wyrley common
13 Comments
Private investigations
David Evans has had access in recent weeks to lots of material from the Norton Canes Historical Society – one of the things he found was a wonderful 1975 report into the Grove Pit Disaster.
 
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, Environment, Events, Followups, Fun stuff to see and do, Interesting photos, It makes me mad!, Local Blogs, Local History, Local media, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Accident, BFHG, Brownhills, Brownhills cemetery, Brownhills local history, Brownhills mining disater, colliers, David Evans, Grove Colliery, Grove pit, Grove pit disaster, John Bernard Whittaker, local blogs, Local History, Lynn Hopley, Memories of old Brownhills by Clarice Mayo and Geoff Harrington, Mine disaster, miners, Mining accidents, mining memorials, NCHS, New Photos, Norton Canes Historical Society, SJ Whitehouse, Staffordshire, The men below, Walsall Wood, Wyrley common, Wyrley Grove
6 Comments
After the gold rush
I thought that today, I’d dig some interesting mapping out of the archive. In the light of Gerald Reece’s talk on Brownhills and it’s colliery history, I thought this 1884 1:2,500 scale plan of Wyrley Common was due an outing. It shows – in some clarity – the extent of mining in the Engine Lane area at the height of the Victorian period.
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Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Followups, Local History, News, Shared media, Walsall community
Tagged 1884, 1:2500, Brownhills, Brownhills Colliey, Brownhills local history, Canal, Cathedral Pit, Engine Lane, Gerald Reece, Grove Colliery, Local History, Old maps, Ordnance Survey, Palmers Hay, Staffordshire, Wyrley common
8 Comments
Underground investigations – The Grove Pit Disaster remembered
The 1st October 2012 – a couple of hours away from when I post this – will mark 82 years since the Grove Pit Disaster that killed fourteen local men in the mine that stood just off Lime Lane, on … Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Events, Followups, It makes me mad!, Local History, Local media, Local politics, News, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Brownhills mining disater, Chasewaterstuff, colliers, Grove Colliery, Grove pit, local blogs, Local History, Mine disaster, miners, Staffordshire, The men below, Wyrley common, Wyrley Grove
7 Comments
Holding on for a hero
Top bloke and contributor Stevie378 recently commented that a relative was in a local mine rescue team. With that in mind, and especially for his mum, whom I know to be a keen reader of this blog, I’ve dredged the … Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Features, Followups, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Social Media, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Brownhills, Brownhills local history, coal mines, colliery, Coppy Pit, Features, Grove Colliery, Grove pit, Local History, Mine rescue, mines recue cup, Mines rescue, mining, New Photos, Staffordshire, Twitter, Walsall Wood, Walsall Wood Colliery, Walsall Wood Pit, William Harrison
5 Comments
Odds and sods
One of the things about compiling the weekly old pictures post that irritates is that there are some really interesting old images floating about that you just can’t fit into a post. One or two-offs that don’t really fit in … Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Environment, Features, Followups, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Spotted whilst browsing the web, Walsall community
Tagged Brownhills, Brownhills High Street, Brownhills island construction, Brownhills local history, CK Electronics, Derelict, Derelict mill, Dorothy Holyman, Doug Birch, Features, Grove Colliery, Hillards, Hoofbeats, Lime Lane, Local History, Mill, New Photos, Petrol and Pantry, Pubs, Ravens Court, Redevelopment, Staffordshire, Station Hotel, Tesco, Tesco Development, The Terrace
15 Comments
Remembrance
I was pleased to see today that there were loads of flowers on the Grove Pit Memorial in Brownhills Cemetery. It’s nice to see so many people remember those lost men, and marked their passing so lovingly. We shall never … Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, Environment, Events, Followups, Interesting photos, Local History, Shared media, Shared memories
Tagged Accident, Brownhills, Brownhills cemetery, Brownhills local history, Grove Colliery, Grove pit disaster, John Bernard Whittaker, Local History, Mining accidents, mining memorials, New Photos
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The men below
Eighty years ago today, on the 1st October, 1930, fourteen men died underground, as a result of a gas explosion at the Grove, or Brownhills Colliery. It is thought that the men perished when a naked light was struck in … Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, Environment, Events, Followups, It makes me mad!, Local History, Local media, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Alan Paul, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Brownhills mining disater, Chasewaterstuff, colliers, Grove Colliery, Grove pit, local blogs, Local History, Mine disaster, miners, Staffordshire, The men below, Wyrley common, Wyrley Grove
19 Comments
Grove Colliery Disaster Memorial Service: This Saturday.
My most grateful thanks go out to Janet Whittaker, who kindly answered my plea for details of the memorial service for the Grove Pit Disaster memorial service, which will be taking place at St. James Church, Church Road, Brownhills on … Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, Events, Followups, Local History, Local media, Reader enquiries, Shared memories
Tagged Alan Paul, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Brownhills mining disater, Chasewaterstuff, Grove Colliery, Grove pit, Janet Whittaker, local blogs, Local History, St James Church, Staffordshire, Wyrley Grove
1 Comment
The Grove Colliery Disaster – details of memorial event, anyone?
I’ve been aware for a few weeks now that there is to be a memorial service for the victims of the Grove Colliery Disaster shortly. Unfortunately, what I don’t know, and can’t seem to find out, is where and when … Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, Environment, Events, Followups, Local History, Local media, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories
Tagged Alan Paul, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Brownhills mining disater, Chasewaterstuff, Grove Colliery, Grove pit, local blogs, Local History, Staffordshire, Wyrley Grove
2 Comments
Was yer ferther a miner?
I had a lovely email from Janet Whittaker, who regular readers will remember asked last week about the grave of her grandfather, John Bernard Whittaker. John died in the Grove Pit Disaster in 1930, and Janet, her family having moved … Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, Environment, Events, Followups, Local History, Local media, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories
Tagged Accident, Brookland Road Cemetery, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, George Fullelove, Grove Colliery, Grove pit disaster, Janet Whittaker, John Bernard Whittaker, Local History, Mining accidents, mining memorials, Walsall Wood, Walsall Wood Cemetery
6 Comments
John Bernard Whittaker, rest in peace.
Further to yesterday’s enquiry from Janet Whittaker, and my subsequent blog post, this evening I went to see if I could find the resting place of John Whittaker, Janet’s grandfather, tragically lost along with 13 other miners in the Grove … Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, Events, Followups, Interesting photos, Local History, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Accident, Brookland Road Cemetery, Brownhills, Brownhills local history, Frederick Clews, Grove Colliery, Grove pit disaster, Janet Whittaker, John Bernard Whittaker, Local History, Mining accidents, mining memorials, New Photos, Walsall Wood, Walsall Wood Cemetery, Walsall Wood Colliery
12 Comments
The Grove Pit Disaster Mining Memorial, Brownhills Cemetery
I’ve had an enquiry from Janet Whittaker, granddaughter of John Whittaker, who died in the Grove Pit Disaster in 1930. Janet had this to say: I came accross your website whilst looking for a site for Walsall Wood Cemertary as … Continue reading
Posted in Brownhills stuff, Churches, Environment, Events, Followups, Interesting photos, Local History, Local media, Reader enquiries, Shared media, Shared memories, Walsall Wood stuff
Tagged Accident, Brownhills, Brownhills cemetery, Brownhills local history, Grove Colliery, Grove pit disaster, Janet Whittaker, John Bernard Whittaker, Local History, Mining accidents, mining memorials, New Photos, Walsall Wood
8 Comments
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