Volunteers help transform pit site for its centenary
DEVELOPER AIMS TO CREATE NEW LEISURE FACILITIES
WORK is progressing on the transformation of a derelict and vandalised colliery site in Nottinghamshire as it heads into its 100th birthday.
Since the Clipstone Colliery site closed in 2003, the buildings have fallen into disrepair.
Developer Adco Properties Ltd bought the site from the Welbeck Estate for an “undisclosed sum” and work began in January last year on the regeneration of the site into a multi-use leisure facility.
Now, entering the site’s centenary year developers have planned a range of activities to take place on the site.
Developer Stuart Mills, director at Adco. Ltd, said: “It’s been a fantastic year here at Clipstone. We have been busy raising money for building works as no grants are available to us.
“We have had car boots, car shows, fireworks, drone festivals and air soft events.
“ITV came and filmed here for the upcoming Without Sin drama and this year we celebrate our centenary as it was 1922 when coal was first extracted here.
“We are holding a series of events in 2022 to celebrate 100 years.
“We’ve got a great big lasercut steel plate that’s been cut out as a silhouette of two miners in coal tub with pickaxes.
“We’re going to erect that near our gate to kick it off!
“Fifty sevem men died at Clipstone so we’re having a brass plate engraved with their 57 names on in memory of them. “It’s all looking good, actually. “Work continues on refurbishment
This year we celebrate our centenary as it was 1922 when coal was first extracted here
Stuart Mills
of these iconic Grade Iilisted buildings.”
The new facilities will be run by the development company. He added: “Parts of it are almost ready to be occupied but there is still major works to do on windows. We’re starting glazing early in the new year. “We’ve a few events this year – car boots, car shows, drone festivals, all sorts of things have been happening. “The plans for the adventure golf is still on the cards – we’ve got some lads doing some airsoft events on January 16. “We are recruiting volunteers early in the new year that might want to help us with the works – there are no grants available for us, that’s the problem.”