History day marks 50 years since pit closure
A Coal Mining History Day is being held on February 2 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the closure of one of Shropshire's last coal mines.
The last coal was mined at Highley Colliery on January 31, 1969, and the shutdown saw over 400 people immediately thrown out of work.
The event has been organised by the Alveley Mining Heritage Group – despite its name Highley Colliery was actually on the Alveley side of the river – and will involve displays and activities from a number of organisations, including the group itself.
Venue is the Severn Centre at Bridgnorth Road, Highley, from 10am to 3pm, and entry to the family-friendly event is free.
Musical entertainment will come from Highley Colliery Band.
And on January 31 the group, which was formed to raise awareness of the 50th anniversary of the closure, is launching the fourth volume of "Memories of Alveley Colliery" at 1pm at Highley Working Men's Club, High Street, Highley.
Andrea Edwards, who chairs the group, said: "All four volumes of 'Memories of Alveley Colliery' are available to purchase on the day, made possible by all the articles and archive material received from former workers at the mine and families and others with an interest in the industrial heritage.
"The day promises an opportunity for people to come together, discover and reminisce about former times, industries and communities and celebrate the rich heritage."
Since being formed in 2016 the heritage group has been involved in various activities to remember the mine, including producing a short film, harvesting memories, refurbishing industrial artifacts, and holding displays and presentations.
The Highley Mining Company already had a colliery at Highley when it sunk a new shaft at Alveley in the 1930s, where production started in 1938. The Highley mine subsequently closed. The old mine was linked underground to the new colliery at Alveley, which was generally known as Highley Colliery.
At its peak the mine employed 1,000 men and produced 300,000 tonnes of coal a year.
After the closure in 1969 the colliery site at Alveley lay derelict until 1986 when a project was launched to create Severn Valley Country Park which saw the reclamation of the land. The park opened in 1992.
The last Shropshire coal mine of all was Granville Colliery on the edge of Telford, which closed in 1979.
