Plans for country park paying tribute to mining heritage and famed author
IT WOULD LINK LAWRENCE BIRTHPLACE MUSEUM AND TWO NATURE RESERVES
A NEW Nottinghamshire country park could be formed to memorialise world-famous author DH Lawrence and his birthplace’s proud mining history.
The planned country park would link the DH Lawrence Birthplace Museum in Eastwood to Colliers Wood Nature Reserve and Brinsley Headstocks Nature Reserve, which Broxtowe Borough Council leader Milan Radulovic said would help preserve the area’s mining and literary heritage.
Mr Radulovic wants to name the prospective park after worldrenowned Nottinghamshire author Lawrence, who was born in Eastwood and grew up in the town. The famous poet’s father Arthur and grandfather Bert worked at the Brinsley pit, which closed when the coal ran out in 1934, but was still in use as an access shaft until 1970. These sites would be linked to Colliers Wood, which was opened as Moorgreen Colliery in 1865 and closed in 1985.
“It’s incredibly important that we remain committed to protecting and preserving our cultural heritage. The mining industry, through the work of Lawrence and others, has made Eastwood famous across the world,” the council leader said.
“I want to link Colliers Wood with the DH Lawrence birthplace museum and with Brinsley Headstocks, to create a country park dedicated to the memory of Lawrence. The Lawrence Country Park from Eastwood to Brinsley would give a whole record of our mining and writing heritage that will be a major attraction to people from across the world.”
Mr Radulovic explained the park’s extent would be determined through land designation in the future. Last week, Broxtowe Borough Council’s cabinet approved a public consultation on the replacement options for the Brinsley Headstocks, which had been dismantled in December as its deterioration posed a risk to public safety.
The removal had prompted opposition from members of the public, but locals are now being asked if they would like whether they want a direct oak frame replacement, a steel replacement, or a ground-level interactive art piece using parts of the original.
“Brinsley had twin headstocks and they are virtually unique now in the country, from what I know I don’t think there’s anywhere else that has them,” Mr Radulovic said.
DH Lawrence’s largely autobiographical novel Sons and Lovers refers to a coalmine called Beggarlee, which the Brinsley Headstocks stood in for in the on-screen retelling of the book in 1960 – which won an Oscar for cinematography.
Mr Radulovic said he hoped the public would support the option of oak replacement headstocks, which would be added to in the future with more information boards sharing the old mine’s history.
“As part of our efforts to preserve our heritage we want to replace the headstocks with a brand new structure and have an ongoing five-year contract for its maintenance. What we would also like to do is put more information boards up there, to pay tribute to those people who created our prosperity and made the foundation for what we have built. “We’re looking for research as well on the people who worked there and their stories, for a lasting tribute to those still alive and those who have lost their lives.”
After Brinsley pit’s closure the headstocks were relocated to facilitate access to another local pit until 1970, after which the structure was then moved to a mining museum. In 1991, the Headstocks were relocated back to the site in Brinsley but were installed in a slightly different location, with the structure and the nearby disused mineral railway track being the only remaining signs of the once extensive coal mining works. The consultation on how the now-dismantled headstocks should be replaced will run in the next few months.
The Lawrence Country Park...will be a major attraction to people from across the world.
Milan Radulovic