Nottinghamshire’s deep mine that opened ninety years ago shut its shafts for good. 360 miners finished their work there for the last time.
The closure of Thoresby Colliery was announced in April 2014 after UK Coal, the owners of the coal mine, hit financial troubles.
600 workers have been gradually laid off through compulsory or voluntary redundancy, with the last 360 miners leaving together on the last day as the doors shut for good.
Emotions were high as the workers left, many of them saying it was the end of an era.
Eugene Dhaliwal, has been working in the coal industry for over 30 years, he said: “In words it’s terrible, It’s despicable why we are getting closed.”
Former Miner at Thoresby Colliery, Gary Spooler, said: “It’s a bit strange it’s an end of an era, my families been through it generation after generation and now it’s just come to an end.”
Thoresby Colliery facts:
- The coal mine opened in 1925 by the Bolsolver colliery.
- It was the last remaining deep coal mine in the East Midlands.
- In 1925 the first two shafts were sunk to 690m below ground.
- The colliery was one of the three remaining deep coal mines in England.
Thoresby Colliery is situated off the A6075, north of the River Maun and is the last remaining deep coal mine in the East Midlands.
Now that Thoresby is shut, only one colliery remains in the whole of England, at Kellingley in North Yorkshire, which is also due to close in December.
