Planning permission was granted to sink two 7.315 m (24 feet) diameter shafts here in 1977, and Cementation Mining Ltd began sinking them in June 1978. The shafts were both 823 metres deep and they were completed in 1983.

Mining began in January 1988 and Riccall did well. By 1996, however, it neighbour, Whitemoor, was struggling so its take was merged with Riccall’s from July, and its shafts filled.

In 1999 planning permission was granted to permit the tipping of spoil from the Stanley Main seam at Gascoigne Wood. Permission was also granted for Riccall to work that seam, which equates with the High Hazel worked at Hatfield. At the end of 2001 the first face, SM501’s, started production in the Stanley Main Seam and the Barnsley was discontinued soon afterwards. The last coal mined on October 26th 2004 bringing coal extraction to an end.

Known Output
1993 1,855,000 tonnes
1995 2,389,000
1996 1,721,000
1997 2,899,000
1998 1,704,000
1999 1,736,000
2000 1,108,000
2001 1,253,000
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