Thoresby Colliery
Introduction:
I'm sure some of you will have seen some of the images that I've teased from here over the past few months, but I didn't really want to put together a report until I was happy that I'd at least briefly covered all the main areas at the pit. Unfortunately I haven't had chance to get the workshops done, and to be fair, I'm not convinced that I'll be returning now as the demolition is well and truly underway. Barring the workshops however, I can provide you with a fairly good look around Thoresby!
Visited on 5 different occasions, three solo and once with @Hydro and most recently with @Session9
I'm going to cover each area minimally, to be fair, you could easily collate an individual report for each area, especially parts like the Power House and Coal Prep.
History:
Thoresby Colliery was opened in 1925 with the sinking of No.1 & No.2 shafts at a depth of 2,260ft.
During the 1950's the two shafts where deepened further by another 350ft, it was just after this in the 60's that the old steam powered winding engines where removed and replaced with the current Markham electrical winding gear.
In April 2014 UK Coal announced the pit was due to close, and it did so in July 2015. Now, around a year and a half later, demolition of the Thoresby site is well under way in preparation for site redevelopment.
Thoresby was the last operational deep coal mine in Nottinghamshire and the second to last to close in the UK superseded only by Kellingley Colliery.
Pictures:
There's a brief history anyway, as usual we'll delve into the inner workings of the colliery as we view the pictures.
Thoresby Goods Sidings
A scene of dereliction and neglect, in fact the only building in use in this picture is the house on the left.
This place is a physical example of how a local colliery supports a local economy, and how closures have knock on effects not only on the community but also other businesses.
The sidings where once a bustling place where coal trains and stock would await their turn to enter the colliery to load up with coal bound for their destinations. Today, the line is quickly becoming overgrown and disused, the yards only purpose for the time being to store the coal trucks which once served this colliery and many others, now awaiting their fate.
Thoresby Colliery Signal Box, no signs of life here either!
Heading away from the yard and now down the Colliery Branch, which can be seen splitting off to the left in the picture above.
Thoresby Colliery
So, let's take a look at the Colliery itself then. I think I'll do this by taking the journey in that the workers would have taken, starting at security, and working through the bath house and then on to each individuals area of work.
Security check in hut
Moving into the bath house and the amenities area now we're in...
The Medical Room at Thoresby wasn't too inspiring from an explorer's point of view, it wasn't quite up to the standard of Kellingley, but then, I guess it wouldn't be with Thoresby been a much smaller pit. All the same, an important part of colliery life, ensuring the workforce is fit and ready to work!
There where other parts to the amenities block that I got the chance to photograph such as the canteen and mess hall, but sadly these where a little too far gone to be included by the time I got here, sure I'll whack them up on my flickr at some point.
Let's take a look at the baths...
Clean side lockers
Salvaged from the Selby coal field the same as Kellingley, you may have noticed.
The showers themselves had been scrapped before I arrived, but fortunately the tiled partition walls remain.
Dirty Side...
Next we head over to the lamp room.
The Lamp Room... The last port of call for the Miners before heading to the Man Riding Cages of No.1 Shaft.
Barometric Warnings Board
Before heading into the No.1 Shaft, let's take a look inside the colliery power house and the No.1 Winder.
No.1 Engine, Markham Electrical Winder and Cabin
No.1 Winding Cabin.
South of Wales Switch Gear located within the Power House
And of course, that mighty Belliss & Morcomb Compressor
Leaving the power house an heading back into the connecting corridor we can walk straight into the bottom of the No.1 Headstock.
No.1 Headstock viewed from the coal prep plant
This would be the final port of call for the underground workers, before heading underground in the man riding cages pictured below.
Looking up at the No.1 Headstock.
The No.2 Headstock opposite is of a slightly different design to that of the steel lattice work of No.1, No.2's job was to bring the mined coal to the surface and is of a concrete construction.
Here's No.2 viewed from No.1 on a warm summers night... You can see the Emergency Winding Cabin in the foreground too.
A month later I got the opportunity to climb the No.2 headstock whilst visiting with @Session9 , here's a couple from the climb.
Looking out over Edwinstowe...
Finally, let's end this report with a few choice images from over in the coal prep plant, like I said before, you could probably make a very worthwhile report just from visiting the coal prep plant, or at least you could have! It's practically gone now...
Rapid Loader, now history!
Coal Prep Control Room.
Work Safe...
And finally, one of the screens.
I don't really want to leave it there, but I do think anymore and the report might start to get a little messy, I'll do a bulk upload featuring the whole lot at some point so I'll put a link out for that when it's ready as I have had to miss out some really corkers in able to give a sort of tour of the site.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the pics, I certainly enjoyed my many visits here over the past few months, as for Thoresby and indeed the UK Coal industry, RIP old friend!
TAW
I'm sure some of you will have seen some of the images that I've teased from here over the past few months, but I didn't really want to put together a report until I was happy that I'd at least briefly covered all the main areas at the pit. Unfortunately I haven't had chance to get the workshops done, and to be fair, I'm not convinced that I'll be returning now as the demolition is well and truly underway. Barring the workshops however, I can provide you with a fairly good look around Thoresby!
Visited on 5 different occasions, three solo and once with @Hydro and most recently with @Session9
I'm going to cover each area minimally, to be fair, you could easily collate an individual report for each area, especially parts like the Power House and Coal Prep.
History:
Thoresby Colliery was opened in 1925 with the sinking of No.1 & No.2 shafts at a depth of 2,260ft.
During the 1950's the two shafts where deepened further by another 350ft, it was just after this in the 60's that the old steam powered winding engines where removed and replaced with the current Markham electrical winding gear.
In April 2014 UK Coal announced the pit was due to close, and it did so in July 2015. Now, around a year and a half later, demolition of the Thoresby site is well under way in preparation for site redevelopment.
Thoresby was the last operational deep coal mine in Nottinghamshire and the second to last to close in the UK superseded only by Kellingley Colliery.
Pictures:
There's a brief history anyway, as usual we'll delve into the inner workings of the colliery as we view the pictures.
Thoresby Goods Sidings
A scene of dereliction and neglect, in fact the only building in use in this picture is the house on the left.
This place is a physical example of how a local colliery supports a local economy, and how closures have knock on effects not only on the community but also other businesses.
The sidings where once a bustling place where coal trains and stock would await their turn to enter the colliery to load up with coal bound for their destinations. Today, the line is quickly becoming overgrown and disused, the yards only purpose for the time being to store the coal trucks which once served this colliery and many others, now awaiting their fate.
Thoresby Colliery Signal Box, no signs of life here either!
Heading away from the yard and now down the Colliery Branch, which can be seen splitting off to the left in the picture above.
Thoresby Colliery
So, let's take a look at the Colliery itself then. I think I'll do this by taking the journey in that the workers would have taken, starting at security, and working through the bath house and then on to each individuals area of work.
Security check in hut
Moving into the bath house and the amenities area now we're in...
The Medical Room at Thoresby wasn't too inspiring from an explorer's point of view, it wasn't quite up to the standard of Kellingley, but then, I guess it wouldn't be with Thoresby been a much smaller pit. All the same, an important part of colliery life, ensuring the workforce is fit and ready to work!
There where other parts to the amenities block that I got the chance to photograph such as the canteen and mess hall, but sadly these where a little too far gone to be included by the time I got here, sure I'll whack them up on my flickr at some point.
Let's take a look at the baths...
Clean side lockers
Salvaged from the Selby coal field the same as Kellingley, you may have noticed.
The showers themselves had been scrapped before I arrived, but fortunately the tiled partition walls remain.
Dirty Side...
Next we head over to the lamp room.
The Lamp Room... The last port of call for the Miners before heading to the Man Riding Cages of No.1 Shaft.
Barometric Warnings Board
Before heading into the No.1 Shaft, let's take a look inside the colliery power house and the No.1 Winder.
No.1 Engine, Markham Electrical Winder and Cabin
No.1 Winding Cabin.
South of Wales Switch Gear located within the Power House
And of course, that mighty Belliss & Morcomb Compressor
Leaving the power house an heading back into the connecting corridor we can walk straight into the bottom of the No.1 Headstock.
No.1 Headstock viewed from the coal prep plant
This would be the final port of call for the underground workers, before heading underground in the man riding cages pictured below.
Looking up at the No.1 Headstock.
The No.2 Headstock opposite is of a slightly different design to that of the steel lattice work of No.1, No.2's job was to bring the mined coal to the surface and is of a concrete construction.
Here's No.2 viewed from No.1 on a warm summers night... You can see the Emergency Winding Cabin in the foreground too.
A month later I got the opportunity to climb the No.2 headstock whilst visiting with @Session9 , here's a couple from the climb.
Looking out over Edwinstowe...
Finally, let's end this report with a few choice images from over in the coal prep plant, like I said before, you could probably make a very worthwhile report just from visiting the coal prep plant, or at least you could have! It's practically gone now...
Rapid Loader, now history!
Coal Prep Control Room.
Work Safe...
And finally, one of the screens.
I don't really want to leave it there, but I do think anymore and the report might start to get a little messy, I'll do a bulk upload featuring the whole lot at some point so I'll put a link out for that when it's ready as I have had to miss out some really corkers in able to give a sort of tour of the site.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the pics, I certainly enjoyed my many visits here over the past few months, as for Thoresby and indeed the UK Coal industry, RIP old friend!
TAW
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