The 1^st chapter in the life of the Minnie Pit started in 1883 when the first clod of earth was dug from the site where the main shaft was to be sunk. The construction of the Minnie shaft was an extraordinary piece of engineering carried out by a French Engineer. There was a problem with quick sand, which meant that the shaft sides were continually collapsing. This was overcome by using a Cason or steam shell that was progressively lowered down the shaft to support the sides.

Once up and running, the pit consisted of four seams – the four foot, the five foot, the Banbury seven and the Bullurst. There were two working shafts and output was 630 tons per day. The Banbury and Bullurst seams were prone to fire damp (methane gas) which was given off freely. The roads were dry and dusty and the whole area was prone to spontaneous combustion.

The Census for 1881 for the village of Halmer End shows that almost every family had someone employed in the mine or had some connection with the Mining Industry. The exceptions were the staff of the school (Now Sir Thomas Boughey High School) and local shops and public houses (and even they owed their life to the pit! ) W Riley and Sons, an old established ironmongers even provided explosives supplied regularly to the village via the railway! Just over one hundred years later, not only has the mine gone and the site landscaped it is hard to trace anyone connected with mining in the village!

The mine closed just before World War 2. The site is now landscaped.