Archaeological Desk-Based Assessmnet of Land at Sharlston Colliery, Wakefield, West Yorkshire

In June 2004, ARCUS were commissioned by UK Coal Mining Ltd to undertake a desk-based assessment on land at Sharlston Colliery, Wakefield, West Yorkshire (SE 385 202). The assessment was required in relation to a planning application for redevelopment of the site. The redevelopment would consist of the reclamation and redevelopment of the colliery site. The desk-based assessment comprised documentary and cartographic research. The proposal area currently consists of a disused colliery and associated spoil heaps and lagoons, with a relatively undisturbed area to the north. All the colliery buildings and infrastructure have been cleared. The earliest known archaeology from the vicinity consisted of Romano-British field systems visible as cropmarks to the north and south of the proposal area. The cropmarks are fragmentary, and the state of preservation of the remains is unknown. The possibly Iron Age/Romano-British origin of the name of Penhill Field, to the west of the proposal area, suggests a longevity of occupation in the area. Coal mining took place in the area from at least the medieval period. This was originally fairly small-scale exploitation of the exposed coalfield, and was undertaken in many areas around the parish. The remnants of bell-pits still exist at Sharlston Common to the southeast of the proposal area, and have statutory protection as a Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM 30962). The remains of ancient pits and pit hills and ancient workings were noted within the proposal area in the late- nineteenth century by the manager of Sharlston Colliery. Some of these were in areas now covered by spoil heaps. Sharlston Colliery was in operation in the nineteenth century, and probably earlier, and deep mining began in the 1860s, with the formation of the New Sharlston Colliery. Colliery Company. The majority of the colliery buildings shown on the 1890 map dated to the 1860s and 1870s, along with much of the colliery infrastructure. The spoil heaps spread throughout the twentieth century in association with the colliery. There is the potential for the survival of features relating to earlier workings under the spoil heaps. This would mainly consist of the tops of mine shafts and possibly bell pits and some of the related infrastructure. Such remains could be damaged by the removal of spoil heaps, particularly where the original ground surface is to be disturbed. Mitigation measures, such as an archaeological watching brief, should be considered for monitoring the removal of spoil close to the original ground surface, to record any surviving archaeological features.