Colliery heritage celebrated
MINING heritage displays are to be created at Snibston Colliery Park.
Leicestershire County Council and Snibston Heritage Trust have worked together on the displays as part of the redevelopment of the colliery park.
They look at how the coal was got using coal cutting machines, roof supports and arches.
There is also a display of underground haulage showing how men, coal and equipment were moved underground using locomotives, tubs and dannies.
The trust has recommended pieces of mining machinery for display from the collection held by Leicestershire Museums Service.
The county council is also installing 10 interpretive panels around the site telling the story of Snibston No 2 Colliery and what the buildings around the site were used for.
The panels will create a Snibston Colliery Trail, which will include the Coalville Signal Box and Sheepy Magna Wheelwright workshop.
The texts were written by Snibston Heritage Trust and the Coalville Heritage Society, which provided many historic photographs of Snibston and other local collieries.
Visitors to the site will be able to walk around the Colliery Trail and
The coal mine at Snibston fuelled the industrial revolution that made this country what it is. Terri Eynon
see the displays whenever the site is open. Other mining-related developments at the site include the relocation of the 31 concrete miners’ helmets which were displayed at the entrance of f S Snibston ib Museum.
These will be lifted and re-laid to form a new display near the new cafe. The helmets were created in 1992. Each helmet represents a colli liery in the h Leicestershire h C Coalfield lfi ld during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Peter Smith, chairman of the trust, said: “The new displays and Colliery Trail will show how important mining was in the Leicestershire Coalfield and celebrate the importance of Snibston Colliery, which Historic England rates as only one of four preserved collieries nationally in a near complete form.
“The trust is grateful to Leicestershire County Council and its contractor, Fortem. We look forward to seeing the site reopen and being able to help out further with the preservation of mining equipment and expanding the interpretation of the site and coal mining in Leicestershire”.
County councillor Terri Eynon said: “Coalville people are proud of their heritage. The coal mine at Snibston fuelled the industrial revolution that made this country what it is today.
“Times have moved on, but all that effort won’t be forgotten.”