Visitors encouraged to visit historic Barnsley colliery
30 January 2019
A heritage group is encouraging people to visit Barnsley Main Colliery after making the site more accessible to visitors.
Over the past two years Barnsley Main Heritage Group has received funding from the Dearne Valley Landscape Partnership (DVLP) to help them develop as a group and fund activities and improvements on site.
Volunteers have dedicated hours to clearing the overgrowth at Barnsley Main to improve the visitor experience.
The site has a new entrance, public pathways, cycle racks and a central flower bed, with information boards about the Oaks Disaster due to be installed in the coming months.
The site is also now linked to the nearby Tank Row nature reserve, managed by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.
Barnsley Main Heritage Group formed in late 2016 and has 20 members. Barnsley Main is the site of the 1866 Oaks Colliery Disaster - the worst mining disaster in English history.
Sarah Dewey from Barnsley Main Heritage Group said: “Barnsley Main hasn’t been easily accessible for several years due to the area being overgrown, so we’ve been working hard with our partners to change that.
“We are all passionate about preserving the memory of Barnsley’s mining heritage and making sure the next generation doesn’t forget where we came from.”
Claire Farley, project officer at the DVLP, said: “We are delighted to be working with volunteers from Barnsley Main Heritage Group to make this grade two listed site a high-quality visitor attraction and fantastic community resource.
“Over the past two years it’s been great to see the passion of the volunteers and their enthusiasm for protecting the site and we hope the legacy of this project continues for years to come.”
Barnsley Main Heritage Group are looking for new members. The group hosts regular meetings, workdays and organises events throughout the year. To get in touch about volunteering please visit the group’s website (barnsleymainheritagegroup.com) or Facebook page.
The Dearne Valley Landscape Partnership is supported by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund. The scheme runs until June this year.
For more information on the DVLP, visit: www.discoverdearne.org.uk.
Notes to editor
Media contact: Charlotte Goldthorpe at Capital B Media on 01226 766900 or at charlotte@capitalbmedia.co.uk
Photograph shows Barnsley Main Heritage Group remember the lives lost in the Oaks Disaster.
The Dearne Valley Landscape Partnership
The lead partner of the The Dearne Valley Landscape Partnership is Barnsley Council with a partnership that includes Rotherham and Doncaster Councils, the RSPB, Natural England, the Environment Agency, the Garganey Trust and others. The DVLP is part of Barnsley Museums & Heritage Services and is based at Elsecar Heritage Centre. www.discoverdearne.org.uk
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF)
Thanks to National Lottery players, the HLF invest money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about - from the archaeology under our feet to the historic parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare wildlife. www.hlf.org.uk @heritagelottery @HLFYandH
This press release was prepared by Capital B Media, a public relations and media training agency based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. For more information, please visit www.capitalbmedia.co.uk.
