Seeing below the moor



MSc student Ron Organ (right) with Malcolm Leyland (left) and Eddie Nash (centre)

Earlier this week, a small team of volunteers gathered in the Low Plain area of Baildon Moor with the hope of investigating the below ground mining remains. They met with Ron Organ who is currently undertaking research as part of his MSc in Archaeological Prospection at the University of Bradford. He is investigating the mining extraction features on Baildon Moor using Electrical Resistive Tomography. The circular depressions that are prevalent across the moor are anecdotally referred to as ‘bell pits’, however, it is likely that they represent shafts, some ventilation, others for getting the coal out. Ron hopes to be able to see if the shafts, or groups of shafts are linked by underground galleries, if some are bell pits, and perhaps to determine the depth of the shafts which would indicate the coal seam being worked.