PLEASLEY’S historic former colliery has been shortlisted for one of the country’s most prestigious heritage awards.
Members of the Pleasley Pit Trust have worked tirelessly to
preserve the iconic headstocks and winding house at the site, while the
old colliery spoil heaps have become a thriving nature reserve.
Now all the hard work has been honoured by English Heritage with a
nomination in its Angel Awards, which were launched by Andrew Lloyd
Webber.
They celebrate the work of individuals and groups who have saved a
significant historic site which was at risk of being lost forever.
The Pleasley trust is one of 16 local groups which have been chosen to go forward to the finals on 31st October.
It is one of four sites shortlisted in the ‘The Best Rescue of an Industrial Building or Site’ category.
The project began with work on the land and development of the site, including landscaping and construction of a car park.
Phase two focused on the conservation of the site’s key features,
including the remaining colliery engine houses and the head gears, along
with other Grade II listed structures.
Work has been supported with investment from East Midlands
Development Agency via the Homes and Communities Agency’s National
Coalfields Programme.
The restoration project cleaned up the derelict industrial landscape
following the closure and demolition of the colliery in the 1980s.
It also created a landscaped gateway entrance to the Pleasley Pit Country Park.
The Land Trust provide the Pleasley Pit Trust with advice and support on the management of the historic site.
English Heritage experts met recently to sift through more than 200
applications for the Angel awards, looking for passion, perseverance and
imagination, as well as the scale of the challenge and how well it had
been tackled.
The nomination marks a double celebration for the site after 90
hectares of the country park was designated as a Local Nature Reserve
this summer.
It allowed members to press ahead with turning it into a top attraction.
