Mine, All Mine...

When one thinks of mining, the first thought is that of coal mining.  Quite understandable, eh?  Still, there are/were many other minerals and materials that are produced by mining in the United Kingdom, although nowhere near as common as they once were.  I will today have a look at some of those materials, and where they were mined.

Coal
As I said, this is the obvious one, and is found in many areas in Great Britain.  Probably dating back to Roman times, coal mining really gained popularity in the late 18th Century.  This was due to the industrial revolution, and the industry thrived for the next 100 years or so.

There were over a thousand coal mines being sunk around the country, with the largest coalfields found in South Wales, Yorkshire, Northumberland/Durham, and Southern Scotland.  Towns and villages were literally built around around the mines, particularly in Wales and Yorkshire.  Of course, in the event of a major disaster - of which there were many - it was not unusual for nearly everyone in an an entire community to be related to a victim of such a disaster.  A woman could lose her husband, father, brothers, and sons, in a single accident.  Not that it was confined to the men, as there were many women and young girls also employed down the mines.

On a lighter note, mines often provided recreation for the local residents, and not just in the form of social clubs.  In Yorkshire, many of the larger mines formed their own brass bands, while the Welsh mines tended to favour the formation of male voice choirs.  There were also colliery football, rugby, and cricket teams.

The 20th Century saw a steady decline in British coal mining, as cleaner fuels became available, and by the 1990's, the industry had been relegated to a minor (no pun intended) role.  In 1979, there were 170 mines producing 130 million tons of coal.  In 2010, there were just three deep mines left, and production had dropped to 17 million tons.  By the end of 2015, Hatfield Colliery in Yorkshire will be the sole surviving deep mine in the UK.  There are also six surface mines remaining, although their future is in doubt.

Metals
Perhaps the best known metal production in the UK was associated with the tin mines in Cornwall and Devon.  The South Crofty tin and copper mine near Camborne, in Cornwall, was the last working tin mine in Europe.  It had been in production for over 400 years before its closure in 1998.  Neither copper nor iron are now being mined in any real quantity in Britain (it is cheaper to import), amd there is a small amount of silver mining.

The worst accident at a British metalliferous mine occurred at the East Wheal Rose mine near the Cornish town of Newlyn, which produced lead ore, along with commercial quantities of zinc and silver.  On 9th July, 1846, a heavy thunderstorm brought flash flooding to the area, and 39 miners were drowned in the pit.

Industrial Minerals
Great Britain is still home to a number of slate mines, the largest again being in Cornwall, near the village of Delabole.  Sand, gravel, and cement are very common, and there is also production of specialised minerals such as China clay (used in porcelain and fine china), and Fuller's Earth (cleaning and oil spill containment).