A Brief Historical Description of Old Byermoor
The Photograph above taken from the pit slag heap, shows Byermoor Colliery (closed 31st Jnuary 1968) in the foreground with the old Colliery housing to the right.
The old mining village of Byermoor originally stood nestling on a hillside overlooking the Derwent Valley. It consisted of a few rows of Pit cottages and where a short distance away lay the Railway line and Colliery.
Opposite the local Catholic School Football field was a disused pit heap, overgrown with grass, then a large ventilation fan was built beside the heap. On the right, along the Top Street, stood the Colliery Manager's house and Garden, including a large Pit pond. At the end of the Top Street one travelled a little further up the hill via a little road known as the "Coggley" or "Cobbley" way leading to the Roman Catholic Church, School and Parish Hall, two houses owned by the Church and a little further away to the right of the road, the newer part of Byermoor comprising of a number of Council Houses, known locally as "Dolly Town" and a few private houses (formerly Colliery Officials houses). Many years ago there stood opposite the Catholic School, two large stone built cottages known as West Farm (now demolished). One of the cottages contained a small Shop, there being no other shopping facilities in the area. The residents had to shop (as they still do today) at other local villages. Of the area itself, in earlier days, the Pit Railway ran parallel to the road at Crookgate, a small hamlet about half a mile away, which then consisted of a row of Pit cottages, standing back to-back with a path which ran up behind the cottages to a place named "Quarry Chains" and the "Green". Another path followed the Railway line towards Byermoor Colliery, where several paths led off through the three Quarries to the Allotments at the end of Bottom Street gardens where the Pit ponies were kept when they were brought to the surface. Across the Railway line was a stretch of boggy land, "the bogs", always burning and smelling foul. It was used by the Council as a rubbish tip.
Beyond that was the black road leading from Crookgate to the old pit where there was an entrance to a drift mine and a few old cottages, probably belonging to a worked out mine, paths leading from there to places named Joe's Well, Barcus Close and through Beckley Woods to Andrews House, Bob Gins and the Causey Arch. Along the railway line from Byermoor stood the remains of beehive shaped Coke-ovens which had fallen into disuse in the 1920's. At the end of the Bottom Street was the Green used during the 1926 General Strike for playing quoits. On the corner of the main road stood the 'Tin Church' (Chapel) which was an offshoot of St. Cuthbert's Church at Marley Hill.
Now the old Miners houses, along with the Colliery and Railway have gone, swept away by the march of time, a way of life gone for ever, leaving in the memories of the older residents of the Byermoor left behind, of a different lifestyle, which was of a close knit, hard working community, all sharing with each other in the hardships, toils and sorrows also in the joys, the laughter and the social get-togethers of former days, also the different personalities which so much made up the character of many of these fine people, the Miners and their families. Today a visitor to Byermoor will see, all that remains in the area of a once busy little mining village, is a little cobbly road, one or two small factories, the Colliery Manager's house (now a private dwelling). On the hill top is the Catholic Church, School, Parish Hall, the two houses owned by the Church standing off the main road. A few hundred yards further on, following straight along the Church Cemetery path, a children’s recreation field, and to the left stand the Council houses "Dolly Town" and a small number of private houses. In conclusion, this short history of the village of Byermoor and it's surrounding area, has been written to ensure that Byermoor, along with many other of our little mining villages and what people have contributed to Society, will remain in the memories of the local people and their children and will never be forgotten.
Wriitten and researched by: Sheila McGahon.
