Clipstone colliery - March 09

This is one we had been planning for a couple of months,and finally made it.
This place has been totally demolished apart from the headstocks and a number of buildings at their base.
heres a bit of history of the place that i found on the internet.

In 1912 the Bolsover Colliery Company leased 6,000 acres of mining rights form the Duke of Portland. A test bore found the 6ft Tophard seam of coal present at a depth of 640yds below surface. At the outbreak of war in 1914 the work on sinking of the shaft was suspended at a depth of 50 ft however the surface buildings such as the winding house went on to be completed. In 1919 work on the shaft recommenced and by 1922 the two 21ft diameter shafts were complete. Mining on the Tophard seam began in 1927.
The headstocks of the colliery are regarded as the tallest in Europe and the third tallest in the world. They are Grade 2 Listed structures and can be seen all over the district. They are expensive to keep in good repair and there have been a number of appeals, as yet to no avail, to demolish them.

anyway on with the pictures

scoobs said:

The headstocks of the colliery are regarded as the tallest in Europe and the third tallest in the world.

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Actually this isn't true and is one of those myths that just keeps on going. Clipstone's headstock's are not the highest in the UK nevermind Europe. Harworth's upcast is larger, I have a feeling Maltby's upcast is taller too.

Regarding other headstocks as far as I know tallest headstock in Europe is at Gottelborn Shaft 4 standing at 90m as opposed to clipstones 65m. I've been to the top of Gottelborn and can confirm that its definitely taller. Though I can't say with certainty weather another mine in eastern Europe is now taller. The tallest headstock's in the world are currently in south Africa.

Clipstones headstocks are in fact truly unique, but not for being tallest. They are important as a rare surviving examples of modern mining structures. They are important as an example of the modernisation of the mining industry after the second world war. They are important because its the earliest example of a koepe winding system left in the UK.

Sorry to rant on but people really shouldn't believe everything you read on Wikepedia.

Nice one scoobs.

Thanks for the extra info there reaperman.

Excellent pics scoobs, love the pics from the top looking down too. I've not seen that fence before all around the first headstock and building (the one nearest to the road) that's a new addition.

Cheers,

Sal

smileysal said:

Excellent pics scoobs, love the pics from the top looking down too. I've not seen that fence before all around the first headstock and building (the one nearest to the road) that's a new addition.

Cheers,

Sal

Click to expand...

Thanks,Yeah that fence is new,and was in the middle of being put up.

god dam really must get up here! was going to last autumn and completly forgot

Supa-dupa pics Scoobs

Still looks in pretty good shape.

Fab photos...love the first sepia pic and the one of the headstock from up top.
Btw, are you Neosea's cat?

Fantastic pics Scoob. You have certainly got a decent head for heights. I would not even think about anything like that.