Chidswell Colliery

Overview

Crawshaw and Warburton's colliery at Chidswell, Dewsbury, sunk in the 1870s and worked until 1924, employing over 500 men in the Flockton, Middleton and cannel seams in 1905.

History

Chidswell Colliery lay at Chidswell, Dewsbury, and belonged to Crawshaw and Warburton, the Dewsbury coalowners who also worked Shaw Cross. It was worked from 1876, and the Ridings pit was counted with it from 1901 to 1905. It raised gas and household coal and grew quickly: 187 men in 1894, 354 in 1900 and 511 in 1905, when it worked the Cannel, Flockton and Middleton seams.

By 1910 the colliery was returned in two parts, Flockton with 114 men and Middleton with 224, each named after the seam it worked, and by 1915 both were much reduced. It employed 129 men in 1923 and was worked until 1924. Plans of Chidswell workings were lodged in 1907, one of them jointly with Shaw Cross, and in 1915 and 1930, and from 1933 its figures were included in Shaw Cross's.

Geology

The Cannel, Flockton and Middleton seams.

Workings

Two sections returned separately by seam, Flockton and Middleton; the Ridings pit counted with it from 1901 to 1905.

Closure

Worked until 1924; later abandonment plans are dated 1930.

What remains

Unknown.

Related mines

• Shaw Cross Colliery — Both Crawshaw and Warburton collieries; Chidswell's later figures were returned with Shaw Cross.

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• Chidswell, Dewsbury, worked from 1876 to 1924, and included Ridings from 1901 to 1905. ¹
• Chidswell Colliery belonged to Crawshaw and Warburton, later Crawshaw and Warburton Ltd. ²
• Chidswell employed 187 men in 1894 and 511 in 1905, working the Cannel, Flockton and Middleton seams. ²
• A joint Chidswell and Shawcross abandonment plan is dated 1907, and from 1933 Chidswell's figures were included in Shaw Cross's. ^2,3
• The latest abandonment plan of Chidswell workings is dated 1930. ⁴

Sources

1. (secondary) Yorkshire coal mines list, C — Northern Mine Research Society
2. (primary) Chidswell Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
3. (primary) BGS / Mining Remediation Authority mine plan 21902383: Chidswell Shawcross, abandoned 1907 — British Geological Survey
4. (primary) BGS / Mining Remediation Authority mine plan 21890734: Chidswell, abandoned 1930 — British Geological Survey

Record created: 21 October 2026 · Last researched: 21 October 2026