Memorial orchard and bench unveiled to honour 33 Brinsley Colliery miners
The Mayor of Broxtowe has unveiled the new miners’ memorial bench and orchard at the Brinsley Headstocks site.
Coun Robert Bullock (Brox Alliance) unveiled the memorial to 33 miners who died during the operation of Brinsley Colliery.
Broxtowe Council have produced a plaque detailing the names, age, date of death and locality of the 33 miners, which will be sited next to the memorial bench on site.
Thirty-three fruit trees have also been planted, creating the Miners Memorial Orchard for members of the public to enjoy.
Seven apple varieties have been planted, sourced from Nottingham and the surrounding areas.
A Merryweather Damson variety tree has also been selected for its heritage, as many miners would have been growing this type of tree on their allotments back when the colliery was open.
To accompany the orchard, an information panel has been created displaying information about all the fruit tree varieties within the orchard and details where the trees originated from and when the fruit will be ready.
A memorial bench has been carved from the timber of the recently removed headstock’s structure to give it a new life on the colliery site for people to enjoy.
The bench features colliery wheels, a miner’s lantern and helmet along with a wildlife design.
Coun Helen Skinner (Brox Alliance), portfolio holder for environment and climate change, said: “The new miners’ orchard is a great way to honour those who lost their lives at the colliery.
"Visitors will be able to reflect on the sacrifice they made and the suffering endured by the families of these men and boys, some as young as 11.
"The fruit has been carefully chosen to be of the time.
"We hope people will enjoy this peaceful setting for years to come.’
Coun Milan Radulovic (Brox Alliance), council leader, added: ‘‘We’re absolutely delighted to have unveiled this as it’s an important part of Broxtowe’s history.
"We’re really happy that we’ve been able to create this area and honour the miners that lost their lives to this colliery.
"We think that residents will be able to enjoy coming here and enjoy the new area, and this is just the start of our wider project at the Brinsley Headstocks site.”