I've been visiting Hatfield Colliery since 2005 I'd come to think of it as the pit they couldn’t kill, Its survived the ravages of closures, privatiastion, sale and adminstartion and each time it has been resurrected. In the ten years I have been visiting I have seen the pit derelict, Recomissioned, reopened and now Sadly derelict again. This time though its permanent the shafts have been backfilled, The phoenix will not rise from the ashes.
The current mining operation ended abruptly this summer, with no contracted buyer for their coal the government backed out of promised financial support. The closure came overnight with little warning and in an instant the years of hard work reopening Hatfield were thrown away, Yet another wasted pit to pile upon the spoil heap that has become the legacy of British coal.
In the last 10 years we have steadily been loosing the last of the pits, now there is practically nothing left to loose. The recent closures have been the final insult, years of decline has led the industry to this point. When Big K winds its last coal in December that will be It. There will be no more deep coal. The industry that fuelled the Britain’s Industrial greatness will have been laid to rest. Few will notice fewer still will care.
The recent story of mine closures has been a tale of obliteration, At Welbeck, Harworth, Maltby, Daw Mill and Rossington scarcely a structure remains that could tell the tale of the work that for years provided the essential fuel for the nation. Work for entire communities; pride, purpose, pit.
The demolition has been total our history has been scoured from the landscape, leaving a sanitised void in the communities that once surrounded them. 30 years on and it feels like the aftermath of the miner’s strike continues to play out. The monuments of the working class are being torn down. Civic leaders may boast of preserved winding wheels and static monuments. Perhaps its just me but these shollow symbols seem to be an insult to the power and spirit of the pit they are supposed to represent.
In this enviromental age few will weep for king coal, but a few dedicated followers will shed a silent tear for the last of the pits. This is our collective history and it deserves to be remembered. When its gone there will be nothing left.
These photos are not the comprehensive history of my time at Hatfield, I shall save that post for another day. They do however capture the essence of the Mining industry in 2015. Appreciate it while you can.
Promises unforefilled:
Pit Yard:
Powerhall,
Downcast Headstock, From the Upcast Heapstead,
On the Upcast:
Whiskey Shared,
Rope Wrecked gaurds,
The last Coal stocks
The current mining operation ended abruptly this summer, with no contracted buyer for their coal the government backed out of promised financial support. The closure came overnight with little warning and in an instant the years of hard work reopening Hatfield were thrown away, Yet another wasted pit to pile upon the spoil heap that has become the legacy of British coal.
In the last 10 years we have steadily been loosing the last of the pits, now there is practically nothing left to loose. The recent closures have been the final insult, years of decline has led the industry to this point. When Big K winds its last coal in December that will be It. There will be no more deep coal. The industry that fuelled the Britain’s Industrial greatness will have been laid to rest. Few will notice fewer still will care.
The recent story of mine closures has been a tale of obliteration, At Welbeck, Harworth, Maltby, Daw Mill and Rossington scarcely a structure remains that could tell the tale of the work that for years provided the essential fuel for the nation. Work for entire communities; pride, purpose, pit.
The demolition has been total our history has been scoured from the landscape, leaving a sanitised void in the communities that once surrounded them. 30 years on and it feels like the aftermath of the miner’s strike continues to play out. The monuments of the working class are being torn down. Civic leaders may boast of preserved winding wheels and static monuments. Perhaps its just me but these shollow symbols seem to be an insult to the power and spirit of the pit they are supposed to represent.
In this enviromental age few will weep for king coal, but a few dedicated followers will shed a silent tear for the last of the pits. This is our collective history and it deserves to be remembered. When its gone there will be nothing left.
These photos are not the comprehensive history of my time at Hatfield, I shall save that post for another day. They do however capture the essence of the Mining industry in 2015. Appreciate it while you can.
Promises unforefilled:
Pit Yard:
Powerhall,
Downcast Headstock, From the Upcast Heapstead,
On the Upcast:
Whiskey Shared,
Rope Wrecked gaurds,
The last Coal stocks
