Opening date set for memorial honouring Thoresby Colliery's fallen miners

The new heritage site, dedicated to Thoresby Colliery in Edwinstowe, has been established in the memory the miners who died during the 90-year history of the colliery - the last to close in the county.

A group of residents, including ex-miners and parish councillors, spent two years planning the garden and raised £24,000 for its creation - including a £12,000 grant from Nottinghamshire County Council.

And now it is due to be opened to the public on Saturday, October 19, at the Village Hall on Mansfield Road, with an opening ceremony featuring a blessing from Reverent Ian Webb, of St Mary's Church, and parish councillors.

The event will also be followed by an exhibition of mining equipment and memorabilia in the hall.

Councillor John Peck, who represents the village on both the county and parish councils, led the working group for the project.

He said: "We’re delighted all the hard work has paid off. We’ve turned an unloved, overgrown piece of land next to the Village Hall into a beautiful memorial garden which remembers all those who worked at Thoresby Colliery between 1925 and its closure in 2015 and in particular those who died during the course of their dangerous work.”

Councillor Celia Brooks, chairman of Edwinstowe Parish Council, added: “These days Edwinstowe may be seen as more of a tourist destination in Sherwood Forest, but it is important we remember the proud mining heritage of this former colliery village.

"There are still many families in the village who have connections with the colliery or who worked there.”

At one time, Thoresby Colliery was the country’s most productive mine, hitting a million tonnes of coal in a year earning it the title “the jewel in the crown” - a phrase that features on the memorial stone.