FT Mine
From the mid 1870’s through to the mid1930’s a mine operated here, the mine was beset with accidents. The worst of these saw 12 miners lose their lives in the 1920’s. The coal extraction declined and by the late 1920’s only one of the headstocks was still in use. By 1935 the site finally closed.
Since then the site has only really seen use as a dump site, in the 50’s it was bought by a scrap dealer who used the site to break scrap items up with the waste products dumped on site until, due to pressure from the local community, the site finally closed in the late 80’s.
The headstocks were demolished early in the 21st century and the site was totally cleaned. It has stood abandoned ever since.
I had looked over the site several times and come to the conclusion the easiest and possibly the only sensible in was at the front gates. We pulled up relatively early in the day and were just about to head in when the owner of the Garage that is literally by the main gates turned up and opened up for business. We tried to blend in as he had a discussion with an elderly customer who had just turned up. The garage owner disappeared inside leaving just the customer outside, it was now or never. We casually walked up to him, in my best French I asked if he spoke English….”Non” so I tried to explain we would like to take photo’s was that ok with him. He shrugged his shoulders and said something in French that could have meant anything, but to an Urbexer was always going to mean “Go for it lads, enjoy yourselves”.
We enjoyed a wander around and snapped our shots and headed back out the way we came in, the look we got from the Garage owner was the sort that made me think I had really stepped in something distinctly unpleasant.
From the mid 1870’s through to the mid1930’s a mine operated here, the mine was beset with accidents. The worst of these saw 12 miners lose their lives in the 1920’s. The coal extraction declined and by the late 1920’s only one of the headstocks was still in use. By 1935 the site finally closed.
Since then the site has only really seen use as a dump site, in the 50’s it was bought by a scrap dealer who used the site to break scrap items up with the waste products dumped on site until, due to pressure from the local community, the site finally closed in the late 80’s.
The headstocks were demolished early in the 21st century and the site was totally cleaned. It has stood abandoned ever since.
I had looked over the site several times and come to the conclusion the easiest and possibly the only sensible in was at the front gates. We pulled up relatively early in the day and were just about to head in when the owner of the Garage that is literally by the main gates turned up and opened up for business. We tried to blend in as he had a discussion with an elderly customer who had just turned up. The garage owner disappeared inside leaving just the customer outside, it was now or never. We casually walked up to him, in my best French I asked if he spoke English….”Non” so I tried to explain we would like to take photo’s was that ok with him. He shrugged his shoulders and said something in French that could have meant anything, but to an Urbexer was always going to mean “Go for it lads, enjoy yourselves”.
We enjoyed a wander around and snapped our shots and headed back out the way we came in, the look we got from the Garage owner was the sort that made me think I had really stepped in something distinctly unpleasant.
