The Clipstone Colliery Headstocks were the tallest structures of their type in England when they were built in 1953.
Clipstone Colliery was known as one of the most productive mines in “The Dukeries coalfields” so called because of the number of stately homes in the area.
The colliery was originally owned by the Bolsover Colliery Company and passed to the National Coal Board in 1947 after nationalisation following the second world war.
The grade II listed headstocks were the tallest in Europe at the time of construction at 63 metres tall.
The iconic Bauhaus building between the headstocks contains impressive winding machinery manufactured by Markham in nearby Chesterfield which permitted deep shaft mining from the Top Hard seam. The Bauhaus styled building illustrate the reticular forms and plain unadorned surfaces with modernist functionality which typifies this Germanic school of architecture.
The colliery was sunk to exploit the Barnsley or Tophard seam and in the 1950s the shafts were deepened to over 1000 yards to exploit other seams. The winding mechanisms are of the ‘Koepe’ type, which were particularly suitable in deep mines. Although they were not in use until the post-war period in the UK, the Koepe system had been developed in 1877 by the German mining engineer Frederick Koepe and was well established in Europe.
The colliery was closed by British Coal, as the National Coal Board (NCB) had become, in 1993, but reopened under private management as RJB Mining in April 1994. The headstocks and powerhouse were designated grade II listed status in 2000 by Historic England. The colliery was finally closed in April 2003 after more than 80 years of mining.
The headstocks, powerhouse and site are grade II listed by Historic England because:
* Historic interest: the complex was a state-of-the-art installation in the post-War development of the coal mining industry in England, at one of the country’s most productive coal mines. At its peak in 1986 nearly a million tonnes of coal was mined.
* Architectural interest: the buildings located below the prominent headstocks are of a Modernist Bauhaus design, in which the winding machinery, power generating plant and shaft head equipment were accommodated in an architecturally co-ordinated complex.
* Technological interest: the complex was developed to utilise the Koepe system of winding, an important technological advance not widely represented in English collieries until the post-War period, and retains the winding engines and headstock sheaves which characterise this type of winding technology.
* Completeness: the headstocks and powerhouse complex is structurally complete with the remains of much of the original plant and machinery in-situ. This sadly has been vandalised in recent years.
* Landscape: the headstocks, when constructed, were the tallest structures of their type in England, and remain an iconic and highly visible presence in the former colliery landscape and with it the history of coal fuelling the industrial revolution and post-war modernisation of Britain.
Read the Historic England entry – HERE!
The site of the colliery has be remodelled, but the headstocks and powerhouse have remained since. The Clipstone Colliery Regeneration Group (CCRG) striving to ensure the iconic headstocks remain along with new community based facilities and businesses to regenerate and re-energise the local community. This includes learning from similar regeneration successes at the sites of former collieries in Germany and Poland. Significant Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic England grants have been secured to undertake feasibility studies which are currently ongoing.
Read about their campaign – HERE!
The Clipstone Colliery Headstocks were the tallest structures of their type in England when they were built in 1953.
Clipstone Colliery was known as one of the most productive mines in “The Dukeries coalfields” so called because of the number of stately homes in the area.
The colliery was originally owned by the Bolsover Colliery Company and passed to the National Coal Board in 1947 after nationalisation following the second world war.
The grade II listed headstocks were the tallest in Europe at the time of construction at 63 metres tall.
The iconic Bauhaus building between the headstocks contains impressive winding machinery manufactured by Markham in nearby Chesterfield which permitted deep shaft mining from the Top Hard seam. The Bauhaus styled building illustrate the reticular forms and plain unadorned surfaces with modernist functionality which typifies this Germanic school of architecture.
The colliery was sunk to exploit the Barnsley or Tophard seam and in the 1950s the shafts were deepened to over 1000 yards to exploit other seams. The winding mechanisms are of the ‘Koepe’ type, which were particularly suitable in deep mines. Although they were not in use until the post-war period in the UK, the Koepe system had been developed in 1877 by the German mining engineer Frederick Koepe and was well established in Europe.
The colliery was closed by British Coal, as the National Coal Board (NCB) had become, in 1993, but reopened under private management as RJB Mining in April 1994. The headstocks and powerhouse were designated grade II listed status in 2000 by Historic England. The colliery was finally closed in April 2003 after more than 80 years of mining.
The headstocks, powerhouse and site are grade II listed by Historic England because:
* Historic interest: the complex was a state-of-the-art installation in the post-War development of the coal mining industry in England, at one of the country’s most productive coal mines. At its peak in 1986 nearly a million tonnes of coal was mined.
* Architectural interest: the buildings located below the prominent headstocks are of a Modernist Bauhaus design, in which the winding machinery, power generating plant and shaft head equipment were accommodated in an architecturally co-ordinated complex.
* Technological interest: the complex was developed to utilise the Koepe system of winding, an important technological advance not widely represented in English collieries until the post-War period, and retains the winding engines and headstock sheaves which characterise this type of winding technology.
* Completeness: the headstocks and powerhouse complex is structurally complete with the remains of much of the original plant and machinery in-situ. This sadly has been vandalised in recent years.
* Landscape: the headstocks, when constructed, were the tallest structures of their type in England, and remain an iconic and highly visible presence in the former colliery landscape and with it the history of coal fuelling the industrial revolution and post-war modernisation of Britain.
Read the Historic England entry – HERE!
The site of the colliery has be remodelled, but the headstocks and powerhouse have remained since. The Clipstone Colliery Regeneration Group (CCRG) striving to ensure the iconic headstocks remain along with new community based facilities and businesses to regenerate and re-energise the local community. This includes learning from similar regeneration successes at the sites of former collieries in Germany and Poland. Significant Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic England grants have been secured to undertake feasibility studies which are currently ongoing.
Read about their campaign – HERE!
