South Glos Mines Research Group - AGM and talk

The South Glos Mines Research Group are holding their AGM and what they jokingly refer to as a “Boring” Talk on Wednesday 7th March 2018 in the Miners (aka Coalpit Heath Village Hall).

The AGM is 7:30pm for a prompt 8:00pm start followed at about 9:15pm by a short talk by David Hardwick on Boreholes in South Gloucestershire. Non-members are welcome for a charge of £2.

Next mining talk

The next South Glos Mines Research Group talk will take place on Wednesday 10th January, 2018 at the Cricket Club, Serridge Lane, Coalpit Heath, BS36 2TT (7:30pm for an 8:00pm start). The talk by Jonathan Maisey will be about the history and exploration of Windrush Quarry, one of the underground sources of Cotswold Stone. Non-members pay £2 or you can pay £17.50 to become a member and attend the regular talks for free.

Two events in revamped hall

There are two events coming up in the revamped Coalpit Heath Village Hall (aka The Miners):

• From 12 noon until 3pm on Saturday 2nd December, the hall will be having its 90th Anniversary Celebration. There will be tea, coffee, mince pies, cake, and a ukele band. 
• On Wednesday 6th December (7.30pm for 8pm start) there will be a talk about the South Glos Mines Research Group archaeological excavation at Serridge. 

 Both events are a chance to celebrate the village's mining heritage.

Mining talk

The South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group are holding a talk, "Now we know their names", on Wednesday 1 March at about 9:00pm (after the group’s AGM) in the The Miners (Coalpit Heath Village Hall).

The talk is by DP Lindegaard, author of the book “Killed in a Coalpit – Lives of the Kingswood Colliers”. The book is a useful reference for anyone whose family were employed in the South Gloucestershire and Bristol coalfields; the index has over 2000 family names.

Interested in our local mining heritage?

You may be aware that the Ram Hill area has a rich and fascinating industrial history, although this isn't always obvious to the casual observer. Sites include the historic remains of Ram Hill Colliery, the capped shaft of Ram Engine Pit, Serridge, New Engine, a ruined weighbridge and steam railway engine shed and the remains of a horse drawn dramway.

Steve Grudgings of the South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group has offered to do a talk, with film/slides, possibly at Henfield Hall, if there is sufficient local interest. It could also be fascinating to hear reminiscences from local people who recall the end of mining in the area.

If you would be interested in such an event, please email Ian Wilkinson, the Ram Hill Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator.

Talk on mining book

D P Lindegaard is giving a talk about her new book “Killed in a Coalpit” at Kingswood Heritage Museum  at 3pm on Tuesday 29 November.

 

The Museum will be open from 2pm to 5pm and for that afternoon admittance will be free (normal price is £3). They will be exhibiting extra mining items above their normal displays specially for the afternoon.

Merlin hold summer celebration

Another event taking place this Saturday is the Merlin summer celebration at 35 Ridings Road, Coalpit Heath.

Until 14th July, this house is open on weekdays from 10am to 6pm as the Coalpit Heath Memory House. You can see what a typical front room would have looked like in the 1950s when the houses were new and hear stories of what life was like in the village back then.

On Saturday it's open 11am to 2pm for the summer celebration. You can enjoy children’s activities, hedgehogs and slow worms, a splat the rat game and a house painting competition.

You can also get a glimpse of what the future holds with a 3D printed model of the new homes Merlin is building.

Step back in time

Merlin Housing Society is giving you the chance to step back in time at the Coalpit Heath Memory House.

From 8th-14th July, 10am-6pm weekdays and 11am-2pm on Saturday 11th (not open Sunday), there will be an exhibition at 35 Ridings Road, Coalpit Heath BS36 2RX. It uses sound, pictures and a recreated living room from the 1950s to give you a glimpse of the changing face of Coalpit Heath. Listen to the voices of the villagers talking about their homes, the village’s mining history and see how the village has changed.

Steam engine talk this Thursday

On Thursday 25th June at 7.30pm at the Miners Club, Coalpit Heath there will be a talk , "Steam Engines of the Coalpit Heath Collieries".

The event is being held by South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group to launch their new book “The History and Industrial Archaeology of the Steam Engines of The Coalpit Heath Colliery Company. “ The book covers Mayshill, Nibley, New Engine and of course Frog Lane Colliery and tells the story of the engines and the men that drove and maintained them

The author, Steve Grudgings will be telling the stories behind the pictures, many of which have not been published before and showing additional pictures that could not be included in the book. Bring your old pictures, documents and artefacts to show them - entry is FREE!

If you'd like a copy of the book but can't make it on Thursday, please contact Chairman Roger Gosling 01454 883607 or email chairman@sgmrg.co.uk

Find out more about our mining past - and more

The upcoming South Glos Discover Festival includes several opportunities to find out more about our mining past.

On Saturday 13 Sept 2014 from 2pm to 5pm and Sunday14 Sept 2014 from 11am to 3.30 pm the South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group will be holding open days at Oldwood Pits, Tanhouse Lane, Rangeworthy, BS37 7PZ. There will be guided tours of the colliery site remains, a display of local mining artefacts and refreshments. For more information please contact: Mrs J. Humphris at Oldwood Pits Telephone: 01454 228160

Also on Sunday 14th September, from 10am to 4.30pm there will be an opportunity to tour the remains of Ram Hill Colliery, including the woodland area and the remains of the Dramway engine house and horse gin.

Nearby St Saviour's Church will be holding open days from 11am to 1pm on Friday 12th September, 10am to 3pm on Saturday 13th September and 10.30am to 3pm on Sunday 14th September.


For more events, covering creative, heritage, nature, health and food topics, please go to the Discover Festival pages on the South Glos website.

Mine shaft collapse update

Your Focus Team has now met a representative of the Coal Authority to look at their plans for tackling the collapsed mine shaft in Woodend Road.

The work is due to start on Monday 26th July with the aim of completing it in the school holidays as the diversion will send traffic past Highcroft School. Notice has been short because of the time taken to confirm the problem was caused by coal mining and to secure the funds for the repair.

The road will only be closed between the Ridge and Badminton Road (some people have been misled by the closure warning sign being located the other side of the Post Office). You will still be able to access both the Post Office and the NISA by road if coming from the Lower Stone Close direction. Initially the route will be closed to pedestrians as well as vehicles but they hope to open up a path on one side of the road or the other once they've established exactly where they will be working.

Having confirmed the position of the shaft, they will fill it and dig trenches around it to fill with concrete to form a "collar" on which the shaft cap can sit. There will need to be a break of several days to allow this concrete to cure before the rest of the work can be completed, so if they seem to have abandoned work, don't assume they're taking a long tea break! The road will be fully reinstated before they leave.

If are not one of the residents or business owners that has been contacted directly by the Coal Authority and you have any queries in the next couple of weeks, please contact Claire Young.

Mine shaft repairs to close Woodend Road

Woodend Road will be closed to pedestrians and vehicles between Badminton Road and The Ridge for up to 6 weeks starting on Monday 26th July. This is to allow the Coal Authority to repair a collapsed mine shaft. Your local Focus team will be meeting a representative from the Coal Authority to discuss the repairs later this week.

Coalpit Heath welcomes mining conference

Friday evening saw the start of the National Association of Mining History Organisations' annual conference which this year is being hosted by Coalpit Heath. Local MP Steve Webb and Cllr Claire Young welcomed people to the conference before enjoying a fascinating talk by Mark Horton on the key part Bristol played in the Industrial Revolution.

Coalpit Heath to host mining conference

From 4th to 6th June 2010, the National Association of Mining History Organisations (NAMHO) will be holding their conference, "Fuelling the Industrial Revolution", in South Gloucestershire.
The conference is being hosted jointly by South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group (SGMRG), Hades Caving Club and Friends of Ram Hill Colliery (FoRHC) and will be based at the Miners Institute in Coalpit Heath. You can find out more information and book your place online.

Frog Lane - Sixty Years On

This Saturday and Sunday (2nd and 3rd May) there will be a free exhibition in Coalpit Heath Miners' Institute (Village Hall) marking sixty years since the closure of Frog Lane pit, the last Coalpit Heath coalmine. You can view it from 7.30pm-11pm on Saturday and 12.30-2.30pm and 7.30pm-10pm on Sunday.

After that it moves to the Yate and District Heritage Centre from 14 May to 4 July.

ETA: Those interested in the mining history of our area might also want to look at the latest newsletter for the Friends of Ram Hill Colliery.

Could you help at Ram Hill colliery?

Last week the Frome Vale Area Forum gave a grant to the Friends of Ram Hill Colliery to put towards spoil heap clearance and tools for cutting back vegetation.

The Friends group completed a series of working parties last year that cleared away vegetation at the site and made a start on removing a top soil heap. Over the winter they have been putting together a programme of work for 2008 and you can hear more about this at their AGM at 7.30pm on Wednesday 26th March at Coalpit Heath Village Hall (Miners' Club).

Your first chance to help out on site this year starts at 10am on Sunday 30 March. For more information contact the Chair, Steve Hillyard, at steve@hillyard.demon.co.uk.

Work Day at Ram Hill

Friends of Ram Hill Colliery are holding a Work Day at Ram Hill from 10am until 4pm on Sunday 16th December. For more information, contact David Evans pm 01454 863649 or david.evans@southglos.gov.uk .

Interested in our mining heritage?

7.30pm Wednesday 5th December at the Miner's Club in Coalpit Heath

An illustrated talk by Steve Grudgings of the South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group (SGMRG) on their excavation on the site of the 1790 Newcomen Engine