Walking Together Mining Memorial Trail - Markham

Completing the memorial trail for 106 miners who lost their lives in 3 major disasters at Markham Colliery in 1937,1938 & 1973.

Image: Visitors exploring the trail

Overview

The voluntary Markham Vale Heritage Group & Derbyshire Council are developing a historically significant walking trail to remember miners who lost their lives in 3 major disasters at Markham Colliery. We need your support to help complete this important project whilst living relatives are still able to engage and benefit.

The Disasters

106 miners lost their lives in the disasters of 1937,1938 & 1973 which had a huge impact on the local communities and the surviving relatives with some households losing up to 3 members of their families at once.

The Walking Together memorial designed by artist Stephen broadbent includes 106 steel figures to create a public walking trail that symbolizes each of the miners’ journeys to the pit and back. Each figure has a circular bronze miner’s tag fixed on his chest. On the underside is stamped the name of the miner killed, his age and occupation. On the front of the tag is stamped the name and year of the disaster, encouraging the visitor to touch the very personal and tactile tags.

What will your funding support?

2022 marks a significant moment in the Walking Together project, in the 10th year of the project the voluntary Markham Vale Heritage Group (MVHG), supported by Derbyshire County Council and Beam, will complete the memorial by installing the final 13 statues.

Your donations will support one of the final figures to complete the memorial in autumn 2022! To support the remaining 12 statues we have secured significant public funding plus business sponsorship.

Image: Example of the miners tag on the statue

Funding secured from the National Lottery Heritage Fund is supporting us to recognise the 10th anniversary of the project to celebrate the memorial’s completion, remember the miners and highlight all those involved - the volunteers, relatives, community members, schools, the artist, fabricators and businesses who have all contributed time, money and passion.

How will the public benefit?

Visitors can re-imagine and remember the lives of all miners, and in particular those who lost their lives for their work. The walking trail supports outdoor wellbeing and active lifestyles# and creates an important physical learning resource for the next generation alongside further online resources via Markham Storymine website sharing stories of mining life and each of the 106 miners. You can also watch a short video about the trail here.

Image: Concept model by Stephen Broadbent.

Our Journey

The Markham Vale Heritage Group helps to guide the project and includes 25 dedicated local volunteers representing friends and relatives of miners killed, local historians, residents and local schools. This project has lots of local support and has reconnected many families through critical research by volunteers. Funding has been incremental with support through community fundraising, grants and business sponsorship.

Image: Derbyshire Heritage Awards - winner for the ‘Best Volunteer Project’ Award and The Story Mine received ‘Highly Commended’ for ‘Young People in Heritage’ Award.

Image: Local school children singing during unveiling event.