The Geology of our land has fed and watered us for centuries providing drinking water from rivers and streams and rich pastures to raise livestock and grow fruit and vegetables. It has also powered us through the industrial revolution and beyond by providing energy bearing rocks and metal ores
Snapshots of our history have been collated on Ordnance Survey maps for centuries and occasionally we come across some forgotten infrastructure which is now only remembered in folklore via past generations. As we know the fear of the unknown can be the nadir for property purchasers which is why Martello are at the forefront of identifying and evaluating risk in their reports.
Martello’s’ vast historical mapping catalogue provides an insight into a past world and former uses of land and buildings. The recent arrival of some mapping of the northwest of England from the mid 60’s to early 70’s drew us to some interesting land use around a small village on the East Lancashire – Liverpool City boundary.
Further investigation including a site visit and the gathering of anecdotal evidence from some of the Village elders pointed towards a subterranean labyrinth of workings which extended like tentacles under most of the village.
However, the purpose of these underground chambers was unclear and there appeared to be a cloak of secrecy surrounding their existence.
By chance we came across some old tapes of a past village resident, a local celebrity who told great stories of this fabled place. Listening to hours of footage, including some National TV clips we were able to cast more light on the history of this site.
He spoke of a sweet sugary aroma emanating from a fissure on the edge of the village
Some locals began to see a red sticky fluid building up around the fissure entrance
The fissure expanded with the pressure from down below and an opening barely accessible to a small child appeared.
Children, as they would, disappeared into the hole and revelled in telling stories of this underground fantasy world.
They were able to transverse deeper and deeper and came across multi colours of this substance each with its distinctive smell and taste.
Little did they know at the time, but the children had made a find on the scale of the Beverley Hillbillies “Texas Tea”. (Crude Oil)
They had found the Knotty Ash Jam Butty Mines.
Everything was kept hushed up as the community took stock of the potential that lay before them. Seams of Jam spread under the length and breadth of the village and there was even talk of building a pipeline along the Manchester Ship Canal to supply the great Robertsons and Duerrs Jam factories in Manchester.
Production commenced in earnest initially only early and late shifts were permitted in school term, but it went into overdrive when the school holidays arrived. Perfect timing to stock up for the summer picnic season and winter toasting demand.
Security was paramount and anyone found breaching the perimeter was known as a Jammy Dodger. A Bob Marley song was played on a loop to encourage productivity (Jamming) and one-year local Scout groups held their annual get together there (Jamboree )
A broad selection of flavours were available. The most popular being Raspberry, Strawberry and Blackcurrant but these were soon depleted as demand outstripped supply and when the lucrative Marmalade seam ran dry the writing was on the wall. Only the less popular Damson and Cherry seams remained, and the viability of the mines had run its course.
The initial euphoria of the locals turned to disdain, and it appears any evidence of their enterprise was soon covered up.
However, with the aid of the latest technology and historical mapping we are now able to exclusively include the pathways of the mineworks, likely depths and risk of subsidence in our reports.
Please see below an outline map to show the extent and Seam flavours in the area to give guidance to conveyancers.