Details

The monument includes a brick and stone built portal and part of a brick lined
culvert which drains water from a coal mine into the Yellow Brook as it runs
through Bottling Wood.
The brick arched drainage adit was driven into a coal mine in 1653 by the mine
owner, Sir Roger Brandshaigh, and was completed in 1670. The mine was
subsequently extended and improved in the 19th century. The underground
drainage system extends back towards the east for 936m to Parr Pit. Only the
portal and 2m of the brick arched entrance to the drain, however, are included
in the scheduling.
The entrance is formed by two brick pillars supporting a large concrete slab,
framing the brick archway of the drain where it exits into the Yellow Brook.
The pillars stand 0.8m high from the bed of the stream and the slab measures
1.4m long by 0.2m deep and about 1m broad. The brick arch for the drain
springs from a level floor 5m wide and stands 0.7m high. The north bank of the
brook is revetted with rough stone walling for 1m on the west side of the
entrance and 5m on the east side. A steel grille has been fitted across the
entrance to prevent intrusion.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Adits, also known as levels, are a prominent type of field monument produced
by the surface workings of underground mining. Most adits are rock-cut, but
sometimes possess built portals or arched entrances. They take the form of
horizontal tunnels excavated into a hillside to give entrance to a mine for
access to working surfaces, haulage of mined material, and/or drainage.
Occasionally, drainage adits were developed at coal mines in order to provide
access for coal transportation using tub-boats and the visible site feature is
that of the entrance or boat-level.
Deep, horizontal drainage adits, known as soughs, were often used solely for
drainage (and sometimes exploration) and generally have their own distinct
identity and history, being particularly characteristic of the Derbyshire lead
orefield where topography favoured such a method. Soughs date from the 17th
century onwards and were often driven and operated by a separate company,
usually serving a number of lead mines.
A sample of the better preserved adits, illustrating the regional and
chronological range of this nationally common class of monument, is considered
to merit protection.

The brick lined mine drainage adit at Haigh Sough is one of the oldest
surviving examples of modern mine engineering. The monument survives well with
most of its original features intact. The drain entrance and the brick lined
tunnel back into the coal mine will provide historians with much valuable
information about the ingenuity of early mine engineers and the enterprising
nature of early 17th century coal mine owners.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
GMSMR, (1989)

Source: Historic England