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Fireclay

This is a short overview. For the background — history, value over time and notable mines — see Fireclay →

A refractory clay found beneath coal seams as the fossil soil the coal forest grew in, and usually won as a by-product of coal mining. Its resistance to heat made it the raw material for firebricks, furnace linings and sanitary ware, and many collieries ran a brickworks alongside the pit to use it.

Mines

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MineRegionWorked
Alloa Colliery Clackmannanshire from By 1894
Amington Colliery Staffordshire 1862–1951
Annandale Colliery East Ayrshire 1857–1928
Ashington Colliery Northumberland 1867 (Bothal Pit sunk)–March 1988
Auchlochan Colliery South Lanarkshire 1890–1968
Auckland Park Colliery County Durham 1864–1946
Axwell Park Colliery Tyne and Wear 1839–1954
Backworth Colliery Tyne and Wear 1818–1980
Barbauchlaw Colliery West Lothian 1900 (earlier pits by 1856)–February 1952 (abandoned 1953)
Bardon Mill Colliery Northumberland 1940 (drift begun 1938)–24 November 1973
Barmoor Colliery Northumberland By 1882–26 October 1962
Bathville Colliery West Lothian By 1859–After 1902
Bearpark Colliery County Durham 1872–1984
Blaendare Colliery Torfaen By 1843–After 1972
Blaydon Burn Colliery Tyne and Wear 1850s–1956
Blaydon Main Colliery Tyne and Wear 1828–1921
Blists Hill Colliery Shropshire From 1770s–1941
Bourtreehill Colliery North Ayrshire By 1872–1924
Bowden Close Colliery County Durham 1845–June 1930
Branthwaite Colliery Cumbria By 1852, possibly earlier–1921
Brereton Colliery Staffordshire By at least 1814–July 1960
Bretby Colliery Derbyshire 1872–May 1962
Brettell Lane Colliery West Midlands from By 1875
Buckhill Colliery Cumbria 1873–27 November 1932
Bullhouse Colliery South Yorkshire to 1954
Burghlee Colliery Midlothian c. 1860–1964 (abandoned 1965)
Callendar Colliery Falkirk By 1855 (estate workings from 1830)–November 1959 (Policy Pit)
Callerton Colliery Tyne and Wear 1827–11 September 1948
Carronhall Colliery Falkirk from 1760 (lease)
Clifton Colliery, Great Clifton Cumbria By 1635 (colliery returned from 1860)–20 February 1959
Coalisland Collieries County Tyrone 1654–By 1920
Cold Knott Colliery County Durham By 1854–28 April 1926
Commondale Quarry North Yorkshire 1860–1947
Cornsay Colliery County Durham 1868–September 1953
Craghead Colliery County Durham 1839–11 April 1969
Crookhall Colliery County Durham 1839–9 November 1963
Cwmbran Colliery Torfaen 1811–1927
Darnley Lime Works Glasgow By 1610–c. 1959
Derry Colliery, Coalisland County Tyrone By 1834–1970
Derwent Colliery County Durham 1856–21 November 1964
Doura Colliery North Ayrshire By the 16th century–Early 20th century
Eden Colliery County Durham 1844–18 July 1980
Eldin Colliery Midlothian from By 1874
Ellistown Colliery Leicestershire 1874–1991
Enterkine Colliery South Ayrshire 1878–November 1959 (abandoned 1960)
Eppleton Colliery Tyne and Wear 1833–1986
Farnacres Colliery Tyne and Wear from 1840
Ffrwd Colliery Wrexham c. 1790s (estate pits)–1904
Foxyards Colliery West Midlands By 1855–After 1880
Garesfield Colliery Tyne and Wear 1800–29 January 1960
Gillhead Colliery Cumbria By 1860s–1959
Glamorgan Colliery Rhondda Cynon Taf 1861–1945
Glenboig Fireclay Mines North Lanarkshire 1830s–1956
Golynos Colliery Torfaen By 1842–1909
Greenrigg Colliery West Lothian 1905–1960
Hattonrigg Colliery North Lanarkshire from By 1870
Hazlerigg Colliery Tyne and Wear 1892–1964
Heaton Colliery West Yorkshire from From 1855
Hedleyhill Colliery County Durham By 1873–1925 (drifts until 1965)
Herrington Colliery Tyne and Wear 1874–1985
Hoddlesden Colliery Lancashire c. 1860–1938 (old pits)
Ibstock Colliery Leicestershire from 1825
Jackfield Colliery Shropshire By 1869–c. 1940
Kibblesworth Colliery County Durham 1842–4 October 1974
Kingseat Colliery Fife c. 1866–1910
Littleburn Colliery County Durham 1840–December 1950
Lloyds Mines Ironbridge Shropshire 14th century–By early 20th century
Moira Collieries Leicestershire 1804–1990
Motherwell Colliery North Lanarkshire By 1866–After 1940
Nailstone Colliery Leicestershire 1862–1967
New Brancepeth Colliery County Durham 1856 (sinking)–17 July 1953
New Lount Colliery Leicestershire 1924–July 1968
Newbattle Collieries Midlothian By 1798–1890
Newbottle Colliery Tyne and Wear 1774 (sinking began 10 August 1774)–1956
Newburgh Colliery Northumberland 1892–1920s
Northcliffe Colliery West Yorkshire By the 1840s–By 1880
Nuneaton Colliery Warwickshire 1877–1920 or 1922
Oatlands Colliery Cumbria 1880–1932 (last coal)
Pontyclerc Colliery Carmarthenshire Possibly 1835–1934
Portland Colliery East Ayrshire By 1856–After 1938
Preston Colliery Tyne and Wear By 1860–28 September 1929
Prestongrange Colliery East Lothian 12th century–1962
Prudhoe Colliery Northumberland By 1860–After 1930
Pwllbach Colliery Neath Port Talbot from By 1894
Radcliffe Colliery Northumberland From 1836–1892 or 1896
Ravenhead Colliery Merseyside 1867 (sinking from 1866)–October 1968
Roddymoor Colliery County Durham 1844–10 August 1963
Rosehall Colliery North Lanarkshire 1855 (deaths recorded from 1853)–September 1940
Sacriston Colliery County Durham 1839–1985
Scremerston Colliery Northumberland By 1769–1944
Seaham Colliery County Durham 13 April 1849 (sinking)–1988 (merged with Vane Tempest, 1983)
Seaton Burn Colliery Tyne and Wear 1844–17 August 1965
Seaton Delaval Colliery Northumberland 1838–1960
Seghill Colliery Northumberland 1824–28 September 1962
Shotton Surface Mine Northumberland 2007–2020
Smelt Colliery Wrexham 1790–1967
Sneyd Colliery Staffordshire Early 19th century–July 1962
South Garesfield Colliery Tyne and Wear 1865–February 1960
South Medomsley Colliery County Durham 1861–July 1980
South Tanfield Colliery County Durham 1837–31 March 1915
South Tyne Colliery Northumberland Early 1850s–24 September 1931
St Helen's Colliery, Siddick Cumbria 1861–1 September 1966
Stanley Colliery, Crook County Durham Before 1828–November 1911
Stocksbridge Colliery South Yorkshire 1861–April 1948
Stonelaw Colliery South Lanarkshire 1854–After 1903
Stublick Colliery Northumberland By the 18th century–1926
Talyclyn Colliery Carmarthenshire 1870–6 February 1952
Tin Mill Colliery County Durham By 1856–1910
Trimsaran Colliery Carmarthenshire By 1896–April 1954
Tudhoe Colliery County Durham 1864–September 1935
Victoria Garesfield Colliery Tyne and Wear 1870–13 July 1962
Wallyford Colliery East Lothian 1855–1930
Walterclough Colliery West Yorkshire 1888 (as generally stated)–18 February 1969
Warrix Colliery North Ayrshire 1894–November 1950
Wellshot Colliery South Lanarkshire 1873–1905
West Pelton Colliery County Durham 1858–19 March 1921
Whitebirk Colliery Lancashire 1870 (sinking)–12 June 1895
Willington Colliery County Durham 1840–1932

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