Going for broke, the Friends and regular volunteers decided to try and get another weekend COVID-safe session in at Hemingfield Colliery. Hoping against hope that they would not be blown away or proceedings drowned out before further progress could be made on the rear retaining wall.
Continue readingGeneral
General blog posts and updates.
Up and Down
Cooler, but no less humid. Cloudy with no chance of downpours. But who trusts the forecasts? The Friends and volunteeers arrived for another COVID-catch-up session; safely-spaced and behind closed-gates to try and make good some of the lost weekends over the past few months that have cast such a long shadow over the country, and worldwide.
Continue readingHumid of Hemingfield, seeks shade
Bit warm again. Seeking to keep up the momentum from the last week’s efforts, the Friends and careful band of regular volunteers returned to Hemingfield Colliery once again for another early start to a day of repairs to the rear retaining wall behind the winding engine house. Still gently returning to the site and following COVID-19 secure guidance, the pit was working behind closed gates again for now.
Celebrating our Heritage on Yorkshire Day
Nothing but blue skies may be an optimistic note to strike in the midst of a global pandemic, but despite the darker clouds, the ups and downs, through the closings, reopenings and re-closings of recent days, the ability to safely distance and volunteer with others, carefully, outdoors, for a common cause – to protect and restore our common heritage – is something to celebrate. Saturday 1st August also had the distinction of being Yorkshire Day – so it was good to see the blue flags flying the white rose against a mostly blue sky.
Indeed, despite the widespread uncertainty and social and economic distress since the crisis began in March, it is heartening to see concrete steps being taken to support culture, the arts and heritage; most recently the announcement of the £88M Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage distributed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Historic England, following criteria from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. This fund is part of the £1.57 billion rescue package from government to safeguard cultural and heritage organisations across the UK.
Continue readingSteady progress
The Friends and regular volunteers returned to Hemingfield Colliery for another tentative and COVID-secure session maintaining the site as the country at large continues to open up following changes to government and Public Health England guidelines.
Continue readingFlat out – volunteer work at Hemingfield
Sun shine after the rain
After a week of, well let’s say ‘changeable’ weather, the Friends and regular core volunteers were keen to recoup some of the time lost to site maintenance since March and the beginning of the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of this an extra Saturday when the weather looked set fair was seized on 11th July to continue the weeding, cleaning and tidying the site so that it is back in good order for what the future may bring as the world, or the UK at least, takes its first steps back towards a new normal.
Continue readingOn yer bike – back to the Bicycle Pit (safely)
Back. Working behind closed gates, and observing social distancing and regular hand sanitising, the Friends of Hemingfield Colliery made a careful return to site.
In sickness and in health…
In a pandemic world, hidden away from each other, we have time to look at history’s lessons – to research some local history on Hemingfield and its people, the history and geography of their health over time. Just as today we experience challenges to increased mortality and public health, so too our ancestors struggled as modern healthcare developed and new treatments became available. The following is a brief piece of research supporting our Hemingfield’s Hidden Histories project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players.
Local Authority
At the end of the Nineteenth and beginning of the Twentieth Century, Hemingfield came under the local governance of Wombwell Urban District Council. The body oversaw most local services and reported on the health and welfare of the population, numbering an estimated 17,764 souls.
From Pit to Pump: 100 years ago today, 15th May 1920
100 years ago…
A hundred years ago today, on the 15th May 1920, the last corf load of coal was raised from Earl Fitzwilliam’s Hemingfield Colliery. It marked the end of an era for the pit, as silence fell, albeit temporarily, at the main winding shaft.
Continue readingImpact of COVID-19, Coronavirus Pandemic on currently planned FoHC events
Given recent Government announcements and based on the advice of Public Health England on the extraordinary steps needed to achieve effective social distancing and shielding vulnerable groups, the Friends have decided it would be prudent to temporarily close the site to the general public and so cancel publically advertised open days for the immediate future.
This will be regularly reviewed in line with the latest guidance.
Unfortunately this will likely delay some project activities planned for the year as part of Hemingfield’s Hidden Histories project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. However all remote/online activities will continue, and even possibly expand, with social media posts, Twitter, Facebook and website updates.
Please continue to get in touch to learn more about the site, its history, surviving built heritage and future plans.
Stay safe everyone!
The Friends of Hemingfield Colliery
Friends of Hemingfield Colliery 