To hear this interview click on the ‘play’ arrow above
Richard Fisher was a fourth generation miner in his family working at Roundwood colliery in Ossett. He started an apprenticeship as a fitter aged 15 in 1956. After 10 years he moved to Parkhill where he did 16 years before moving to Selby working at Gascoine Wood at the very beginning.
He contrasts the seam depth at Roundwood varying from 21 inches to three foot four inches with Selby with nine foot seams. He considers the feasibility of cleaning coal through carbon capture.
Richard also describes the origins of mining in Yorkshire starting with surface mines where the seams outcropped at Middlelton and Beeston near Leeds. As the seams dropped eastwards ‘bell pits’ were dug and eventually the deep mines around Barnsley and Selby.
The interview ends with some insights into the layout of the mining museum where he has worked for 31 years, almost as long as he worked in the mines themselves.
- Archive
- York Greenways
- Theme
- Coalfield