MineArchiveLow Laithes Colliery
| Location | Gawthorpe, Ossett, West Yorkshire — 53.6959, -1.5767 (approximate) |
|---|---|
| Commodity | Coal |
| Type | Coal |
| Worked | 1855–1927 |
| Maximum depth | Unknown. |
| Operators | Low Laithes Colliery Company (1855–1927) |
Overview
The Low Laithes Coal Company's colliery at Gawthorpe, Ossett, worked from 1855 to 1927 in the Silkstone and cannel seams, with up to 674 men in 1910.
History
Low Laithes Colliery lay at Gawthorpe, Ossett, about three miles west-north-west of Wakefield, and was worked from 1855 by the Low Laithes Coal Company, later the Low Laithes Colliery Company, Limited. Its early recorded deaths include a man falling down the shaft in 1854 and a miner killed by an explosion of firedamp in 1859; in September 1890 two sinkers, M. Glen and J. Murrey, fell from a scaffold in the shaft.
The colliery raised gas and household coal, and from 1905 coking coal, from the Silkstone and Cannel seams and later the Beeston. It grew from 240 men in 1894 to 449 in 1900, 541 in 1905 and 674 in 1910, then fell back to 359 in 1915 and 234 in 1923. Among its later deaths, in 1902 an iron drag sent up the shaft attached to a full tub fell just as the cage reached the surface and killed a hanger-on of 20, and in 1909 and 1911 pony drivers of 14 and 18 were killed on the haulage. Low Laithes was discontinued on 17 May 1927 and abandoned on 26 June 1928.
Geology
The Silkstone, Cannel and Beeston seams.
Workings
A shaft worked by cage, with endless-rope haulage underground and sidings at the surface.
Closure
Discontinued on 17 May 1927 and abandoned on 26 June 1928.
What remains
Unknown.
Related mines
- Chidswell Colliery — Neighbouring collieries between Ossett and Dewsbury.
Nearby mines
- Shaw Cross Colliery — 1.1 miles (1.7 km) W
- Chidswell Colliery — 1.4 miles (2.3 km) NW
- Soothill Wood Colliery — 2.1 miles (3.4 km) NW
- Ingham Colliery — 2.3 miles (3.8 km) SW
- Combs Colliery — 2.5 miles (4.0 km) SW
Straight-line distance, within 9 miles (15 km). Show on the map.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- Low Laithes, Ossett, worked from 1855 to 1927; it was discontinued on 17 May 1927 and abandoned on 26 June 1928. 1
- Low Laithes belonged to the Low Laithes Coal Co., later Low Laithes Colliery Co. Ltd. 2
- Low Laithes employed 240 men in 1894 and 674 in 1910, working the Silkstone and Cannel seams. 2
- In 1902 an iron drag fell down the shaft at Low Laithes as the cage reached the surface and killed a hanger-on. 2
- Abandonment plans of Low Laithes workings are dated from 1911 to 1925. 3
Sources
- (secondary) Yorkshire coal mines list, L — Northern Mine Research Society
- (primary) Low Laithes Shaft, Gawthorpe — Durham Mining Museum
- (primary) BGS / Mining Remediation Authority mine plan 21888431: Low Laithes, abandoned 1925 — British Geological Survey
Record created: 21 October 2026 · Last researched: 21 October 2026