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I was born in 1980 into a mining family. My father, uncle, grandfather, great uncles, great grandfather and beyond worked at collieries across Yorkshire and in more recent generations Nottinghamshire. As children we were surrounded by the monuments of 'King Coal' and no structure was more iconic or felt more permanent than the pit headstocks.
Of course, as it turned out, those headstocks became relics and as I grew older I watched as colliery after colliery was almost literally wiped from the face of the earth. As I walk around the county today I am still struck by the absence of that once colossal industry. It exists now merely as railway lines that seemingly lead to nowhere or access roads obstructed by giant concrete blocks.
When I talk to people younger than me, even those with a history of mining in their family, the scale and importance of the industry barely registers. A testament to its total destruction.
Fortunately, there are a determined group of people trying to preserve the history and tell the story of the coal industry in Nottinghamshire. A county of particular significance to the social and political seams that run through the story of coal mining in Great Britain.
The Nottinghamshire Mining Museum is made possible by the efforts of volunteers of whom many are former coal miners. Men and their families who fought to protect their industry in the past and today seek to preserve its memory for the future. They’ve been delivering exhibitions, ‘pop up’ museums and lectures and are busy programming future events.
To raise money to help them fund their activities I’ve decided to walk across Nottinghamshire and visit the site of the collieries that were open during my lifetime, some 29 collieries across 120 miles. The route looks set to include some beautiful parts of the Nottinghamshire countryside as well as some gruelling slogs along miles of busy roads and shattered landscape.
The route kicks off on Monday the 3rdof September at Cotgrave Colliery and finishes on Friday the 7th of September at Harworth Colliery. I’ll post more details on the routes and the collieries that will be visited nearer the time.
Thanks for reading and any donations you make will be very gratefully received.
Joff
Of course, as it turned out, those headstocks became relics and as I grew older I watched as colliery after colliery was almost literally wiped from the face of the earth. As I walk around the county today I am still struck by the absence of that once colossal industry. It exists now merely as railway lines that seemingly lead to nowhere or access roads obstructed by giant concrete blocks.
When I talk to people younger than me, even those with a history of mining in their family, the scale and importance of the industry barely registers. A testament to its total destruction.
Fortunately, there are a determined group of people trying to preserve the history and tell the story of the coal industry in Nottinghamshire. A county of particular significance to the social and political seams that run through the story of coal mining in Great Britain.
The Nottinghamshire Mining Museum is made possible by the efforts of volunteers of whom many are former coal miners. Men and their families who fought to protect their industry in the past and today seek to preserve its memory for the future. They’ve been delivering exhibitions, ‘pop up’ museums and lectures and are busy programming future events.
To raise money to help them fund their activities I’ve decided to walk across Nottinghamshire and visit the site of the collieries that were open during my lifetime, some 29 collieries across 120 miles. The route looks set to include some beautiful parts of the Nottinghamshire countryside as well as some gruelling slogs along miles of busy roads and shattered landscape.
The route kicks off on Monday the 3rdof September at Cotgrave Colliery and finishes on Friday the 7th of September at Harworth Colliery. I’ll post more details on the routes and the collieries that will be visited nearer the time.
Thanks for reading and any donations you make will be very gratefully received.
Joff
Organizer
Joff Spittlehouse
Organizer
