Part of Lightmoor Colliery

The entrance is located just upstream from the northwest corner of the recreation field at Ruspidge, on the west bank of the Cinderford Brook. It lies adjacent to the route of an old tramroad that once served nearby quarries, including those around Eastern United Colliery. Access may require permission if crossing the nearby farmyard.

The level is driven in solid sandstone and begins as a spacious, stone-lined passage around 6 feet high, with about a foot of standing water. Where it intersects house coal seams, sections are arched for support. Approximately 400 yards in, an arched chamber aligns with a known, now-infilled surface shaft. Fifteen yards beyond this is a fire clay blockage; passing through it gives access to old pumping and underground steam haulage ventilation shafts.

The level then branches to the left for around 150 yards before intersecting a capped main winding shaft, 930 yards from the entrance. A large iron pipe rises through the shaft, which was used to direct pumped water into the drainage level. A 6-foot steel ladder allows access to a staging platform, through which pump rods still pass. A lifeline is essential here. Through the rods, the water table can be seen varying between 100 and 150 feet below. The shaft collar is at 587 feet elevation, and the shaft itself was sunk to 936 feet to reach the Brazilly Seam.

Above noted by T Oldham as being provided by Dave Tuffley

Driven before 1837 and initially worked as a separate mine. During the gale reorganisations of 1838–1841, it was amalgamated with Lightmoor Colliery. After amalgamation, the level was extended to connect with the main Lightmoor shafts and repurposed as a drainage level to carry water pumped from those shafts.