Bloomfield Colliery
near Dudley
1776: 'Birmingham, March 11. On Friday last a steam engine constructed upon Mr. Watts's new principles, was set to work at Bloomfield Colliery, near Dudley. From the first moment of its setting to work, it made about 14 or 15 strokes per minute, and emptied the engine pit (which is about 90 feet deep, and stood 57 feet high in water) in less than an hour. This engine is applied to the working of a pump 14 inches and a half diameter, which it is capable of doing to the depth 300 feet, or even 360 if wanted, with one fourth of the fuel that a common engine would require to produce the fame quantity of power. The cylinder is 50 inches diameter, and the length of the stroke is seven feet. These engines are not worked by the pressure of the atmosphere. Their principles are very different from all others.'[1]
The Colliery was located on the site of the former Bloomfield Ironworks. Bloomfield Hall Colliery was closed on the 21st of January 1921 with the ending of working on the Thick Seam. This was subsequently replaced by the Brymill Steelworks. Which in turn was taken over by Tipton Bright Bar Firsteel Mill and Service Centre (Corus).[2]