[Alan J.]

I too can remember pumping at least within the last 3 to 4 years and was also once told the reason for pumping was to keep the water down in the opencast workings. I wonder whether the whole exercise was effective or not. My reasoning is that the depth of the Hauxley shaft was 500 feet and the Brockwell, the seam which generated most of the water, was another 200feet below shaft bottom level. This would , I imagine, to be far below that which the opencast could reach, also it is hard to think that the workings as far away as Maidenshall, about 5 miles or more would be threatened. Coquet, your reference to salt water contamination suggests the Hauxley water was sea water. It was pure fresh water which was prefered by the ponies for drinking as opposed to that on offer at the stables. If it had been salt water we would have had much to worry about.