Elsecar Footrill

This list entry was subject to a Minor Enhancement on 26/10/2020

SE39NE 5/25 SK38509965

HOYLAND NETHER WENTWORTH ROAD (east side, off) Elsecar Footrill

II Footrill (pedestrian mine entrance). Probably Possibly circa 1795. Built for the Fitzwilliam estate.

DESCRIPTION: a sunken retaining wall flanked by damaged wing walls, all built of dressed sandstone. The quoined doorway has a rebated surround and a deep lintel. The doorway is fitted with a square-latticed iron door through which can be seen the start of the ashlar-lined vaulted tunnel that provides access to the mine workings of the Barnsley coal seam.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT: although above the entrance there is an iron plaque reading: ‘THE FOOTRILL OPENED IN 1723. ENTRANCE TO THE MINEWORKINGS OF LAW WOOD COLLIERY, ALSO TO ELSECAR OLD COLLIERY’, the validity of the date on this plaque is uncertain. However the footrill is considered to be a rare survival of an early form of mine entrance and is believed to connect with C18 underground workings: ‘Law Wood’ colliery being more usually known as Low Wood or Lowwood colliery. The entrance is also thought to connect to the workings of Elsecar New Colliery opened in 1795. There is a historical reference to stonemasons being paid for walling at the footrill entrance in 1820. This mine entrance is thought to have been that used by the Earls Fitzwilliam when taking parties of aristocrats and royal acquaintances down into the Elsecar mines on tours to admire the underground workings.

Listing NGR: SK3850299657