Monument record MDR6967 - Swadlincote Old Colliery/Brick and Pipe Works (site of), Hearthcote Road, Swadlincote

Cadleyhill Old Colliery named on the OS map of 1888, with a short railway/tramway (not named) connecting it to the Burton and Swadlincote Branch Railway [SMR 26869]. (1) Later editions name the site as Swadlincote Old Colliery and show an extensive Brick & Pipe Works immeidately adjacent, using some of the same rail connections. (2-4) On the OS map of 1976 neither the brickworks nor the colliery are depicted and the site of the latter is occupied by tanks associated with a nearby factory. (5) A number of features were identified using good quality aerial photographs. They include the following: A stonework building of post-medieval date seen as a polygonal enclosure, 65m by 30m, defined by 1 stone foundation on 6 sides and centred at SK 2898 1954; A stonework building of post-medieval date seen as a rectangular enclosure, 32m by 30m, defined by 1 stone foundation, centred at SK 2889 1946; a stone building of post-medieval date seen as a rectangular enclosure, 25m by 10m, defined by 1 stone foundation and centred at SK 2891 1944; stonework foundations of kilns of post-medieval date seen as eighteen small (1-4m) round positive features, in a linear pattern, centred at SK 2898 1958; a tramway of post-medieval date seen as a single linear feature defined by 1 stone foundation, with a maximum length of 820m, centred at SK 2847 1946; and stonework foundations of kilns of post-medieval seen as six medium size (4-5m) round positive features, in a linear pattern, centred at SK 2886 1946. The site has now been cleared and a business park is under construction. (6, 7)