Some history of the site:
The colliery opened in 1916. The pit was stopped in 2001, and restarted 2007; the mine passed through a number of different owners in the early part of the 21st century, with subsequent operators entering receivership. During the same period the site was proposed as the location for high-technology coal burning power stations schemes which did not proceed.
Hatfield was mothballed by British Coal in 1993 prior to privatisation (salvage completed March 1994) and was bought by a company put together by the last BC manager - Jeff Ainsley. The company was called Hatfield Coal Co Ltd. This ran for several years and was a genuinely nice bunch of people. However, economics caught up with it and it went bust in 2001. It was used in the film Brassed Off during this period.
Richard Budge got ejected from RJB Mining round about the same time and decided to buy Hatfield, using a company he controlled named Coalpower. This fell over in 2004 and he then went on to put a second company together, Powerfuel. This was supposed to float on the stock exchange but never got away and in 2006 he brought in the Russians. They have put in a lot of new money which has been used to re-develop access to the Barnsley seam, some way below the High Hazels which was the last seam worked by British Coal and Hatfield Coal Co.
The explore - if you can really call it that:
Well aware there was security on site here we thought it worth a look around anyway, after a nice walk over a small hill to get here (which provided stunning views in every direction!) we made our way down the other side to the buildings. Everything here was fenced off (albeit not very well) but there was security with dogs to stop people looking inside anything.
A stunning place though especially in the late afternoon light when we were there. I was the first down to look around and went around the side of the fence taking pictures while some of the rest of our group climbed straight in through the fence and then straight out again after the securitys Alsatians started barking. I took a few more pictures and wandered back, stopped briefly to chat with the guard who said he is fine with people looking around and taking pictures from outside the fence, just not to come inside or go near the buildings!
He did have a very cute Alsatian puppy with him too who was loving all the activity!
The walk back to the car provided some incredible views just after sunset over to Drax with the cooling towers seeming to create the clouds across the skyline!
Some pictures: (Apologies for phone camera / late afternoon light if they are a bit grainy!)
The colliery opened in 1916. The pit was stopped in 2001, and restarted 2007; the mine passed through a number of different owners in the early part of the 21st century, with subsequent operators entering receivership. During the same period the site was proposed as the location for high-technology coal burning power stations schemes which did not proceed.
Hatfield was mothballed by British Coal in 1993 prior to privatisation (salvage completed March 1994) and was bought by a company put together by the last BC manager - Jeff Ainsley. The company was called Hatfield Coal Co Ltd. This ran for several years and was a genuinely nice bunch of people. However, economics caught up with it and it went bust in 2001. It was used in the film Brassed Off during this period.
Richard Budge got ejected from RJB Mining round about the same time and decided to buy Hatfield, using a company he controlled named Coalpower. This fell over in 2004 and he then went on to put a second company together, Powerfuel. This was supposed to float on the stock exchange but never got away and in 2006 he brought in the Russians. They have put in a lot of new money which has been used to re-develop access to the Barnsley seam, some way below the High Hazels which was the last seam worked by British Coal and Hatfield Coal Co.
The explore - if you can really call it that:
Well aware there was security on site here we thought it worth a look around anyway, after a nice walk over a small hill to get here (which provided stunning views in every direction!) we made our way down the other side to the buildings. Everything here was fenced off (albeit not very well) but there was security with dogs to stop people looking inside anything.
A stunning place though especially in the late afternoon light when we were there. I was the first down to look around and went around the side of the fence taking pictures while some of the rest of our group climbed straight in through the fence and then straight out again after the securitys Alsatians started barking. I took a few more pictures and wandered back, stopped briefly to chat with the guard who said he is fine with people looking around and taking pictures from outside the fence, just not to come inside or go near the buildings!
He did have a very cute Alsatian puppy with him too who was loving all the activity!
The walk back to the car provided some incredible views just after sunset over to Drax with the cooling towers seeming to create the clouds across the skyline!
Some pictures: (Apologies for phone camera / late afternoon light if they are a bit grainy!)
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it still gets me sometimes lol
