Voices in the Coalshed: Has tha’ seen a ghost?

There are many stories from all over the world which tell of unusual events in coal mines – and other mines too!

From sightings to sounds; from superstition to personal record; these stories are everywhere.

One story about Walton Pit in West Yorkshire comes from former miner Chris Campbell.

Chris was working in 10 East Junction on the Birkwood seam at Walton Pit in the late nineteen-seventies when this event happened to him. 10 East District was where a number of miners lost their lives in a methane explosion in the late 1950s.

Chris had been working with three others at the time. Their work finished the others sat down to play cards whilst eating their snap. Chris, feeling tired, decided to have a nap and took himself about 50 metres away to where it was a bit warmer; he turned off his cap lamp and settled himself to sleep.

He woke up feeling freezing cold and looked up. In front of him he saw the figure of a man hovering above the roadway; despite it being pitch black the figure seemed to have its own light source – a kind of glow. It wore old fashioned clothes and pit helmet and carried a lamp, different to the deputies’ lamps of the time; this lamp was one that had been in use a long time ago. The figure said, “Are you coming down the back roads?”

Mesmerised, Chris closed his eyes, pulled up his collar, pulled his helmet down over his face and screamed!

When he opened his eyes again, the apparition was gone and Chris ran back to his workmates who asked, “What’s up young ‘un, has tha seen a ghost?”

Although his mates thought that he was foolish to believe he had seen a ghost, Chris began to hear other similar stories from Walton. One concerned an electrician who told of a shadowy figure sitting down beside him to pass the time of day before vanishing. It is said that at least one person who met this ghostly figure never went underground again.

Did you meet the miner from Walton when you were working or do you have similar stories to share with us?

This piece was written by Nicola, one of the Museum’s volunteers. Image: Walton Colliery, NCMME