GRIFFYDAM HISTORY

This colliery was located at the extremities of Swannington Parish, and was sunk in 1851, but by 1877 it had closed. Following abortive efforts to rework the Main Coal at Swannington, a small mining company by the name of Cox and Turner, who had previously leased the Sinope Colliery buildings, decided to deepen the shafts of the Colliery from 189ft to the Roaster Seam at 348ft.

 

During the following two years, small quantities of the main and Middle Lount Seams were worked at a royalty of £30 per acre on each. In March 1894, working was suspended, and the business sold to D. & J. Woollatt, coal merchants of Derby and Burton upon Trent. They in turn sold it in 1895 to the Swannington Colliery Company Ltd for £2,000, but the colliery lay idle for several years owing to a dispute with the Snibston Company over flooding.

 

An attempt was made to work the Middle, Nether Lount and Roaster Seams, but limited reserves finally brought an end to the colliery in July 1902.  As can be seen from the map, it had sidings to the south side of the Leicester to Burton Midland Railway line. Some of the colliery buildings are missing on the map.

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