Chatting to Dweeb about coal and trains at the Wiltshire weekender reminded me about Welbeck, and having failed to post a report I felt rude not to add my traditionally shoddy and half arsed account of proceedings.
Anyway, mining at Welbeck commenced in 1912, and during its life has worked the Deep Soft, Top Hard and Parkgate seams. In recent years geological faults have been encountered and it was proposed that Welbeck would shut and extraction of coal from the field would be undertaken by nearby Thoresby. The mine was earmarked for closure in January 2010, however managed to survive into May. The mine was largely demolished by March when the headstocks came crashing down. Thankfully many of the staff here were transferred to other mines, though many now have to undertake long commutes to work at Daw Mill in Warwickshire and Kellingley in North Yorkshire.
This was quite possibly one of the most frustrating places I've been to, with the weather, irregular shift patterns of the demolition crews and my ever erratic financial state meaning I never really saw what I wanted to see. James, RJ and I managed the Coal Prep Plant in November and RJ and I returned one night in December and went up both Headstocks, however by this point many buildings had been demolished.
Anyway, mining at Welbeck commenced in 1912, and during its life has worked the Deep Soft, Top Hard and Parkgate seams. In recent years geological faults have been encountered and it was proposed that Welbeck would shut and extraction of coal from the field would be undertaken by nearby Thoresby. The mine was earmarked for closure in January 2010, however managed to survive into May. The mine was largely demolished by March when the headstocks came crashing down. Thankfully many of the staff here were transferred to other mines, though many now have to undertake long commutes to work at Daw Mill in Warwickshire and Kellingley in North Yorkshire.
This was quite possibly one of the most frustrating places I've been to, with the weather, irregular shift patterns of the demolition crews and my ever erratic financial state meaning I never really saw what I wanted to see. James, RJ and I managed the Coal Prep Plant in November and RJ and I returned one night in December and went up both Headstocks, however by this point many buildings had been demolished.
