Description and History of Site:-
Richard J Sutcliffe was something of a pioneer in the mechanisation of colliery work. He patented pit sinking and coal cutting machines in the 1890s. In 1905 he applied for a patent for his design of a belt conveyor to move coal from the working face, at the time this was accomplished by loading the coal into tubs, by hand, and hauling the tubs away using ponies and boys. Sutcliffe's 'Universal Works', near Horbury, was originally adapted from the old 'Dye Works Mill' of the early 1800s and rebuilt in 1874 after a fire. In 1905, Sutcliffe installed a gas engine and machine tools and commenced manufacturing canvas belt conveyors in October of that year. Richard J Sutcliffe died in 1930. The business remained in the family and in 1969 merged with the mining machinery interests of Fletcher and Stewart of Derby and A. G. Wild and Co of Sheffield into a new company named Fletcher Sutcliffe Wild, to supply self-advancing powered roof support systems and other mining machinery. By 1972 the new company was employing over 740 workers at the Horbury factory. In the late 1990s the company was bought out by Dobson Park Industries who owned a variety of other mining supply companies. The Horbury factory was closed in 1990.

Further Reading and References:-
http://www.ossett.net/beyond/Richard_Sutcliffe.html
http://www.twixtaireandcalder.org.uk/site/image-detail?imageid=8957#.WbaAerKGOJA

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Key Words :- engineering mining conveyor coal collieries machinery

Address :- Wakefield Road, Horbury, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF4 5RB
Grid Ref :- SE 30370 18825
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.665031 , Long -1.541856
Local Authority :- Wakefield Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Site demolished or no longer extant
Site Condition :- Site redeveloped to residential housing
Site Dates :- c1870 -
Record Date :- 11 September 2017

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Nick Nelson