Pleasley Pit and Country Park
Geoff had seen something about the pit on BBC news and thought it would be a good idea to go and visit.
It was sunk in the 1870s and produced coal until 1983. It still retains its headstocks, engine-houses and steam winders, one of which was installed in 1904 by Lilleshall Co. Ltd. and the other in 1922 by Markham & Co. Ltd. Pleasley Colliery is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument and is in the process of being developed into a mining heritage site. The engine-house roofs and the chimney have been renovated and now the winders have been restored by members of the Friends of Pleasley Pit preservation group.
There were 5 of this week, the usual 4 plus Geoff's daughter Sally, so this meant we had to watch our P's and Q's. We set off at the usual time of 06:00 and arrived about 07:00, the pit is just outside the village of Pleasley close to Mansfield.
We strolled around the grounds first, had our breakfast and met someone at the gate who said come back later and you can have a look around the engine house and winding house. Well we did go back just before 10;00 and we were welcomed and given a first class tour by Nev who was full of knowledge and enthusiasm. He gave us the full history of the pit and demonstrated how a lot of the procedures at the engine house and winding mechanism.

This weeks route.

View from the car park

Rob, Ike, Sally

Geoff and Rob

Sally

Orchid

The Large pond

Bird Hide

Pano of the large pond

Geoff

Sally getting close ups

Clover

Meadow Blue

Bee on a daisy

Wild Rose

Rob & Geoff talking to one of the directors

Rob, Ike, Sally Geoff

Rob caught a small newt

Old winding wheels

Old boiler

The walls inside the pit cafe are covered with old photos

Anvil

Old coal cutting drill

This wall consists of numerous bricks from local collieries 

Nev in the engine room

Me in the cage mans chair, he controlled the rise and fall of the cages.

Rob, Geoff, Nev, Sally and Ike in front of the winding drum

The chart on the left is a visual display of the strata through the pit showing the coal seams

Miners lamps

Old clocking in station

Sally

Father and daughter

Geoff with Sally's ht on

This was a lovely Sunday morning stroll,seeing lots of wild flowers meeting some great people and leaning a lot about the mining industry. 
See you next week.