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Rossington
Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Background
Rossington is located some 5km south east of Doncaster, and was taken over by RJB Mining in 1994.
I wasn't allowed access to the colliery site on the day I went there
to take photographs for this page. The photographs attributed to "Photographer
anonymous" were given to me by an employee at the colliery who expressed
a desire to keep his identity secret.
More on the history of Rossington Colliery at a later date.
The Present
Seams Worked
Only the Barnsley seam is of interest to Rossington. The structure of the seam has been extensively mapped with surface seismic and boreholes.
The area of the Barnsley seam being worked at present lies at a depth of between 800 to 900 m.
In the present working area, the Dunsil seam has combined with the Barnsley seam to form a section of coal measuring between 2.2 and 3.0 m.
Reserves & Resources
There is an estimated 16 Mt of reserves within the present licence area at Rossington.
Outside of the present licence area, within two blocks referred to as the Markham and Harworth licence areas, there are another estimated 15.8 Mt, for which the company is considering seeking approval to mine.
The Barnsley seam is considered to be at high risk from spontaneous combustion, and stringent precautions and monitoring are practiced accordingly.
Current Strategy
Currently, the strategy is based on the working of a longwall face using a single set of face equipment.
A shortwall face will be used to continue production through changes of longwall panels.
The shortwall faces are in reserves laying beneath Finningley Airfield, so face lengths are restricted in consideration to subsidence concerns.
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Into the Future...
Future Prospects.
Rossington is planned to produce 0.83 Mt/a and is presently gearing it's activities toward the retreat system of mining.
The colliery possesses substantial reserves of good quality coal.
RJB's Long Term Production Strategy visualises the current reserves being exhausted by the end of 2009, with production raising from 1Mt/a to 1.2 Mt/a by 2003. These figures are reached by assuming the completion of a fourth access roadway which is required to provide the working environment necessary to extend the mine eastwards beyond the next five years.
Acquisition of the Markham and Harworth licences would enable the presently projected production levels to continue until after 2020
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The Dedication
The following photographs and information were donated by Vic Lindsay, ex-delegate of Rossington NUM. Vic operates the Rossington version of The Mining Community Advice Centre.
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The number of men killed at the colliery was 92, from 1912 to the present date.
A. Scargill, F. Cave, G. Gallimore and T. Attawood were present at the service.
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The return rope wheel in the pictures was recovered from
an old underground district.
The plaque bears the names of the 92 men who died at Rossington Colliery.
The last man killed at the pit was only 23 years old.
The final photograph shows the Rossington May Day Parade. Parish councillors,
including Jack Riley and the Rossington N.U.M. Committee can be seen following
the branch banner.
Photographs -Copyright �Vic Lindsay.
Ayle - Betws
- Blenkinsopp
- Clipstone - Daw Mill
- Ellington - Gleision
- Harworth - Hatfield
Main - Hay Royds
Hill Top - Kellingley
- Longannet - Monument
- Maltby -Phoenix
and Hopewell - Prince of Wales - Rossington
The Free Miners - The
Selby Complex - Thoresby -Thorne
- Tower - Welbeck
- The Nottingham Coalfield
Mining 2000 Conclusions