Delight as Pleasley Pit awarded six-figure grant towards restoration

The scheduled ancient monument, managed by green space management charity The Land Trust, has secured a £402,000 grant from Biffa Award; a multi-million pound fund that helps to build communities and transform lives through awarding grants to communities and environmental projects as part of the Government's Landfill Communities Fund.

The money will allow vital restoration and refurbishment works to be undertaken at the pit – which has just celebrated its 150th anniversary – including work on the iconic chimney and South Heapstead building. It will also allow the trust to digitise and create a range of interpretation to showcase the history of the site through oral history recordings, video tours, historical timelines, and interactive displays.

Alan Carter, The Land Trust chief executive, said: “We are all so pleased we can now start the important works on the chimney and South Heapstead building. Both parts of the site play an important part in the history and heritage of the colliery and house a popular part of the museum that we don’t want to lose.”

“The funding will enable us to preserve the site for future generations, which is fantastic news. With more and more visitors each year, the interpretation works, interactive displays and timeline will be a real asset and help to engage returning visitors and new.”

The colliery is an important historic site which has been rebuilt and restored into a local mining heritage museum, visitor centre and café.

The heritage museum is run by the volunteers from the Pleasley Pit Trust and offers an important glimpse into the past of coal mining.

The headstocks, engine-houses and steam winders still remain, allowing for visitors to step back in time to explore and engage with artefacts from a bygone era, as well as learn about social history through the volunteer guides.

Rachel Maidment, Biffa Award grants manager said: “It is hugely important that Biffa Award continues to fund projects that showcase the rich history of our industrial heritage, keeping it alive and providing future generations the opportunity to explore and learn about these vital links to the past. We can’t wait to see this exciting project when it is completed in early 2024.”