Todays restoration of threads!
Gascoigne Wood was one of 5 collieries built by the NCB in the 1970's. Millions of tonnes of coal were discovered by the NCB, but Selby is deep in Tory land, and the locals were not too happy with the idea of horny handed miners inhabiting their small market town. Money was spent on new housing, a new leisure centre and schools. The collieries themselves were not to be of standrd design, but with squat modern looking headstocks. The 'selby complex' as it was called comsisted of 5 collieries, with one prep plant. All 5 mines were linked underground.
After the strike one of the pits was mothballed. UK coal treated the coal in the mines as "jam in cake, not geology" and fautls were not worked. Instead the easy coal was grabbed for the easy money, and the mines closed. It has been descried as the biggest rape and pillage of British natural resources in history...
Gascoigne wood was the preperation plant for the coal. The coal was brought to pit top, washed and then loaded onto rail. This was my first coal related explore, and fascinated me to the point of near obsession. I made it my goal then and there to see all that remained of the British coal industry, and last year, all but a few little stragglers I have just about achieved that.
Demo had been under way for a while at this point, making navigation hard and thought provoking. Many a banister used as a staircase, and girders acting as bridges. I left black as the ace of spades and thisrsy for more...
View attachment 139251
View attachment 139254
View attachment 139258
View attachment 139263
Gascoigne Wood was one of 5 collieries built by the NCB in the 1970's. Millions of tonnes of coal were discovered by the NCB, but Selby is deep in Tory land, and the locals were not too happy with the idea of horny handed miners inhabiting their small market town. Money was spent on new housing, a new leisure centre and schools. The collieries themselves were not to be of standrd design, but with squat modern looking headstocks. The 'selby complex' as it was called comsisted of 5 collieries, with one prep plant. All 5 mines were linked underground.
After the strike one of the pits was mothballed. UK coal treated the coal in the mines as "jam in cake, not geology" and fautls were not worked. Instead the easy coal was grabbed for the easy money, and the mines closed. It has been descried as the biggest rape and pillage of British natural resources in history...
Gascoigne wood was the preperation plant for the coal. The coal was brought to pit top, washed and then loaded onto rail. This was my first coal related explore, and fascinated me to the point of near obsession. I made it my goal then and there to see all that remained of the British coal industry, and last year, all but a few little stragglers I have just about achieved that.
Demo had been under way for a while at this point, making navigation hard and thought provoking. Many a banister used as a staircase, and girders acting as bridges. I left black as the ace of spades and thisrsy for more...
View attachment 139251
View attachment 139254
View attachment 139258
View attachment 139263