Pillowell Level Colliery (General)

by Jefff , West London, Middlesex, Saturday, January 14, 2012, 19:41 (4700 days ago) @ m p griffiths

Well done MPG, you're correct again (of course!), it is "Level".

I first tried the excellent Old-Maps site for Phipps Bottom (a new area for this East Dean lad so very interesting) and the 1878-81 (1:2500scale) map gives excellent close detail. I first thought of the "level" crossing as per your photo and the map, but further study of the map shows a small "level(coal)" north of Phipps Bottom.
http://www.old-maps.co.uk/maps.html
Apparently a level is "a small mine driven horizontally into the hillsides, working the seams of coal closest to the surface." http://welshcoalmines.co.uk/

Looking again at the above map but southeast "down" from Phipps Bottom it clearly shows "Pillowell Level(coal)" at the southern edge of Pillowell village and not surprisingly at the end of the railway line.
This is just marked "disused level" on the 1959 map off the same site.

Here is a detailed history from 1838 of Pillowell Level colliery.
http://www.lightmoor.co.uk/forestcoal/CoalPillowellLev.html