Creech Mines 

Click here for the 1943 Newspaper Cutting

Creech Barrow Mine

Tucked away just below the summit of Creech Barrow in the 1970's was this Mine. It was bulldozed in 1981 and very little of it remains there today. It was one of the mines that extracted Ball Clay from Creech Barrow. Aldermoor mine (at the foot of Creech Barrow) being the last. (Take a look at Matthew Randall's memories of Creech Barrow)

         East Holme Mine

 Killwood

Greenspecks No.2

Aldermoor Photos © A.P.M. Wright

Creech Grange

 Mike Giles has sent in these 2 photographs below and the story behind them.

"Two more photos that came from the box Brownie / Kodak camera. They aren't very clear I know, but the images were captured as the only two miners who worked underground at Grange mine at that time, probably 1968, came up into the 'tranship' shed for their lunch. They had climbed up the air shaft ladders to the surface, about fifty yards away from the main winding shaft which was immediately to their left as they are seen here. The miner with the dark, collar up, shirt, vee neck pull-over and jacket, was Sid Lewis, and the other without much hair 'on top', was Rod Battrick. They used to start work at six o'clock in the morning, after arriving in a corrugated 'tin' shelter which had been placed in the tipper bin of one of Pikes' tipper lorries. How far they'd travelled thus, I don't know, I assume from the works at Furzebrook, but I do remember that Rod Battrick lived at Sandford and I've a feeling that he was picked up from there. They had to start early as the mine was within 'the Ranges', so we all had to be out in time for the Gunnery School to do their thing. Les Gover was the 'winder', and used to start at half past five in order to get the compressor going for the spaders, get the fire lit, and brew the tea."

Creech Heath workings

Over the centuries ball clay has been extracted from the heathland and remains can still today. Flooded pits, weathering beds and the ruins of buildings are still visible.

A flooded ball clay pit covered in water lilies 

              A Strange building adjacent to clay workings                                                 Support for a spindle made from Rails

A disused weathering bed

The Ball Clay Heritage Society website also has photographs of the workings  Click Here to visit site
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