The following exchanges earlier today on the LIS-MAPS discussion group
may be of interest: apologies to those who have already seen them there.

Richard Oliver

-----Original Message-----
From: A forum for issues related to map & spatial data librarianship
[mailto:lis-maps@...] On Behalf Of Laurie, Robert
Sent: 13 October 2008 11:22
To: lis-maps@...
Subject: Campaign to pin coal mines on OS maps
Importance: High


This may be of interest to lismaps subscribers. The meeting , hosted by
Dave Anderson MP is about an Early Day Motion seeking to have the sites
of defunct coal mines recorded on Ordnance Survey maps. Further details
can be obtained from pinthepits@... <mailto:pinthepits@... >
Anyone attending should contact Rachel Horne and allow plenty of time
to get through security at the House of Commons.

Robert Laurie, British Library Map Library

PIN THE PITS

Tuesday 21st October 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Boothroyd Room, Portcullis House

It's the re-launch of the EDM to get the Pits Pinned.

It's about marking the fruits of men, children and women's labour. The
injuries. The chronic illnesses. The culture. The history. The
communities. The decimation. The demolition. The rejuvenation. The
regeneration.

.... The inheritance if rupture. This will also be explored as several
young people will be discussing how the shift from blue collar
industries to white collar services has affected them.

There will also be other guest speakers discussing the campaign.

There will be three short films by Rachel Horne (aka the Foundaing
Father). The films:

Man as Machine
Archive footage revealing the working conditions of coal mining during
the 1930s, sound by sonic artist Ryan Jordan, the piece brings
polarised worlds together, referencing our cultural shift from
industrial to a technological society.

The Out of Darkness Light Project
Documents a memorial event in 2006 organised by Rachel Horne marking
the 20th anniversary of the closure of Cadeby Colliery.

Mine the Notion
Documenting the exhibition and talk that took place at the Foundry in
2006, featuring trade unionist Dave Douglass and poet Dennis Monhangan.
From: A forum for issues related to map & spatial data librarianship
[mailto:lis-maps@...] On Behalf Of Francis Herbert
Sent: 13 October 2008 11:34
To: lis-maps@...
Subject: Re: Campaign to pin coal mines on OS maps

Robert (et al.):

The idea of "seeking to have the sites of defunct coal mines recorded
on Ordnance Survey maps." reminds some of us with elephantine memories
of a similar (same?) nationwide effort, ca 1980, following a pit or
mine disaster, of calling in and collection of all maps and plans
marking disused mines & pits in to form a 'preventative' database.
Someone will come up with the responsible government (?) department's
name; and somewhere I think some of us will have a yellow-coloured
paper public advertisement calling for such cartographic materials to
be forwarded.

Francis
_________________________________________

From: A forum for issues related to map & spatial data librarianship
[mailto:lis-maps@...] On Behalf Of Cooper, Alexander P R
Sent: 13 October 2008 11:51
To: lis-maps@...
Subject: Re: Campaign to pin coal mines on OS maps

While I can see the aim of the proposal, is the OS the appropriate body
to do this? The OS do not normally provide historical data; they
provide a map of what is currently on the ground (with the occasional
exception of battle-sites). They don't provide a historical product;
they provide a definitive version of what is there now. As defunct pits
may have no expression on the surface, is it the OS' job to add such
data to their maps? I am sure that where there are existing surface
buildings, these are present on the OS' maps.

Paul


Don't know whether the information on this online brochure will add to
the argument http://www.coal.gov.uk/media/E6A8A/mrsds_brochure_2007.pdf
In addition, maps were published by Arup Geotechnics for the Department
of the Environment in 1990, being a "Review of mining instability in
GB" together with associated reports. We hold a few, but BGS have
them plus the government department (if you can track them down!)
http://www.bgs.ac.uk/discoverymetadata/13480443.html

Wendy

Didn't we have a visit to a Mining Records Office near Burton on
Trentas part of BCS a few years ago? I've just found the web page at
http://www.coal.gov.uk/services/miningrecords/index.cfm.

The web page says that they hold coal abandonment plans going back to
1872. I remember it being a fascinating visit. So they hold a lot of
the information even if it isn't all available on one series of maps.

Best wishes,
Clare
_________________________________________
From: A forum for issues related to map & spatial data librarianship
[mailto:lis-maps@...] On Behalf Of Da Cruz, Antonio
Sent: 13 October 2008 12:25
To: lis-maps@...

Like Clare I was reminded of the MCG visit some years ago. Here's the
write-up from Cartographiti 56, page six.
Tinho

Visit to the Coal Authority's Mining Records Office
Friday 11th September 1998

Prior to the visit many curators were sceptical as to why we were going
to see mining records. However, at the end of the trip the comments
seemed unanimous: 'Wasn't it fascinating?' or 'I had no idea such
records existed'. We were taken by coach to Burton-on-Trent where half
the group were dropped and the others taken to Bretby industrial
estate, the site of the Mining Records Office. There we were met by
David Clarke, the genial head of the record office, who guided us round
the collection. The main part of this consists of approximately
100,000 plans of abandoned coal mines. Mine owners have been obliged
to deposit these since 1872 which is reassuring when one considers that
some areas have as many as thirty workable seams below the surface! It
is important not just for those wishing to buy properties in mining
areas, but also to ensure new excavations do not puncture old
unrecorded and flooded workings. Such a disaster occurred as recently
as 1973 when seven men lost their lives at a colliery in Lofthouse.
The collection is freely available to the general public who have the
use of individual consulting rooms, each containing a table, catalogue
and 35mm microfilm reader. The catalogue is based on six inch county
series maps (it was started in 1929). In 1911 the regulations were
further tightened to cover active mines, for which plans had to be
updated at least every three months. These plans were at the scale of
two chains to one inch (1:1584) and on waxed linen. These have all now
been transferred to microfilm for the use of the public. From 1952 a
different plan was used for each seam within a mine. Plans are
currently produced at a scale of 1:2500 on metal sheets - quite a
challenge for those retrieving them from the stacks. We viewed the
stacks and were impressed with disaster prevention measures, for
example a halon gas fire extinguishing system and a controlled
atmosphere for the whole building. The tour continued with a visit to
the microfilming room and staff work areas. Mr Clarke c
oncluded by mentioning some of the other records held in the office,
namely the Coal Holdings Register of the late thirties when coal was
bought by the State prior to nationalisation, and geological data from
bore holes and seismic reels acquired by the National Coal Board.
Examination of these other records requires a fee. Once again the
Convener and local organiser should be thanked for coming up with an
enjoyable and enlightening visit.

Dear All,

For the record, the Coal Authority has now moved all its plans to their
purpose-built HQ in Mansfield. Well worth a visit.

Nick Millea


_______________________________________________________

Nick Millea

Map Librarian, Bodleian Library, Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3BG

Just in case it's helpful, the Mining Access Portal at
http://www.bgs.ac.uk/nocomico/ allows anyone who is interested in an
abandoned mine plan to locate the repository in which it is stored. In
the longer term, the aim is to add scanned images of the maps. The
portal includes the Coal Authority plans mentioned below, as well as
plans from the Health and Safety Executive, The National Archives, the
British Geological Survey, the Mineral Valuer, and Camborne School of
Mines.

Chris