There were four “numbered” Rutland Collieries in the Ilkeston area, additional to a number of smaller Rutland pits as far as I know, all owned by the Duke of Rutland (Manners family), and

operated by the Rutland Colliery Company Ltd. These were fairly early "deep" pits, with one located West-North-West of the former (and much larger/deeper) Manners Colliery (operated originally by the Manners Colliery Co. Ltd. which shared principal proprietors with the Rutland Colliery Company Ltd., and closed in 1949 by the NCB), one West-South-West of Manners Colliery, another on the site of the Ilkeston swimming

Manners Colliery

1) Rutland Colliery No.1 was the one to the West-North-West of the later Manners Colliery, and was the nearest to the Nutbrook Colliery. The area was opencast as part of the NCB's Shipley South site in the 1970s. The shaft is now covered by the Shipley View Estate where it meets the Manners Industrial Estate. It reached the Deep Soft Coal at 351 feet and Deep Hard at 405 feet. These seams were regularly exploited in this area at the time . It is shown as operational on the OS map of 1836, linked to the Nutbrook Canal by tram road, and still active in 1887. By 1901 some infrastructure remains but as part of the Manners Colliery (sunk 1870), and no shafts are indicated. This remained the case on the 1921 map, but by the 1930s buildings had disappeared, leaving only spoil heaps and disturbed surface features.

2) Rutland Colliery No.2 was the one to the West-South-West of the later Manners Colliery, shown as operational on the 1887 Map. By the 1901 survey, the site of No.2 Colliery had disappeared and was replaced by the sidings and screening plant of Manners Colliery, running parallel with Manners Avenue . This whole area has now been erased and replaced by the Manners Industrial Estate. I have no details of the seams or depth, but I would guess Deep Soft, and possibly Deep Hard at probably 50 feet less than Rutland No.1.

3) Rutland Colliery No.3 was the one adjacent to Manner Floods. The floods eventually engulfed the pit top (by 1966), and as the area is being redeveloped, and as I haven't visited lately, I'm not sure of its fate. No.3 reached the Deep Soft Coal at 195 feet. It is shown as operational on the OS map of 1836, linked to the Nutbrook Canal by tram road, and still active in 1887. By 1901 it is described as an "old shaft" (air shaft I believe), with a rail link still in tact. By 1921 the railway had gone, and in the 1930s the floods (later Manner Floods) had begun to appear, remote from this shaft, suggesting a culvert or pumping to lower ground to the West. The water was probably coming from abandoned workings to the South, where the West Hallam Colliery had been abandoned with major water problems throughout its history. I would imagine that Rutland No.3s workings would have been dammed-up to prevent flooding of the deeper Manners Colliery workings that were operational until 1949. All uninterested ground water flow eventually would go to Shipley, and this is demonstrated in my tale of " The Haunted Roadway?" else where on this website.

4) Rutland Colliery No.4 was the one near the swimming baths complex, and was also known as "Dead Dog Pit", I believe. It was also the one that put pay to the Ilkeston Spar Baths by disturbing the ground waters. No.4 reached the Deep Soft Coal at 183 feet. It was connected by railway or tram road traveling up Manners Avenue past the later Mines Rescue cottages. No.4 was shown active in 1887, but had disappeared by 1901, and was replaced by the Manor football ground some time prior to 1921. Some of the old spoil heaps, pit top, demolished buildings, and rough woodland that developed on the site was a playground to myself and some of the children from the Mines Rescue Station right up until the swimming baths was built in the early 1970s.

It was bounded by the football ground, ambulance station, and Manor House. It was quite an eerie place really, and reputed to be inhabited by a witch. If you saw her, death was apparently inevitable before the age of 21. I don't remember anyone actually seeing her, and I suppose if they did, they won't be here now to tell the tale.

It was bounded by the football ground, ambulance station, and Manor House. It was quite an eerie place really, and reputed to be inhabited by a witch. If you saw her, death was apparently inevitable before the age of 21. I don't remember anyone actually seeing her, and I suppose if they did, they won't be here now to tell the tale.

The final fascinating fact is that in 1846, the Nutbrook Canal was carrying 26,886 tons of coal from Rutland Colliery(s), which demonstrated a sizeable output for that period, and would not have accounted for total output by any means.

Joe.