Site of Church Field Drift Mine (Disused)

 interesting place, invisible, coal mine

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Sometimetimes referred to as 'Farrington' or 'Ruett' Slant.
Following the closure of Farrington Pit in 1921, a group of miners (some 20) who had lost their jobs formed a 'Cooperative', placing a modest amount of money each into a venture to continue mining / and avoid being out of work for too long.
The Lease was granted by the Duchy of Cornwall - and all dues were waived until the men were in a position to pay them.
It has been said that the men had some backing of several relatively influential families & the Duchy. It was considered that Church Field would be a suitable place to commence a 2 X 'Slants' or 'Drifts', and within a year, the middle vein of the Farrington Series had been proved and coal was being won.
They were mainly working the pillars of coal from earlier workings, and there was the always the potential risk of ingress from the nearby Farrington pit workings.
This is indeed what led directly to work ceasing at Church Field. In 1923, there a significant inrush of water, and the slant ceased working.
With the advice and assistance of the Duchy, work began on another pair of drifts / slants to the west at nearby Marsh Lane.
John Gibson (ja_gibson@tiscali.co.uk) Jan. 2012.
Refs: Down & Warrington; Radstock Museum; oral history & local knowledge - sources not recalled.