Site owner plans to introduce tours at former colliery

The colliery in Clipstone, which opened in 1922, was the heartbeat of the village until it closed

The owner of the site of a former colliery is hoping to open it up for public tours in the near future.

Stuart Mills bought the property in 2020 and is also planning to create a multi-use leisure facility at the former pit.

Once areas of the building are made safe, Mr Mills will charge "a small fee" to take members of the public around the site.

Mr Mills said he was eager to give people an "insight into what mining was like" within the next 12 months.

Mr Mills said the colliery produced 1 million tonnes of coal a year

The property - which features the tallest headstocks in the world - remained empty when it closed in 2003 until it was purchased by Mr Mills.

Multiple issues with the building were "safety-based", Mr Mills said.

"Walking around, you could fall down a hole, there were all sorts of trip hazards with pieces of steel falling down and glass panels falling out," he said.

"We've been doing a lot of work to make sure the place is safe and we can now show people around the premises which makes an interesting tour."

The colliery shut in 2003

The owner said plans to introduce leisure facilities to the site were 12 months away.

Mr Mills said the Coal Authority would have to come back to the site and cap the shafts within the colliery, which have affected plans to introduce the facilities.

"Once that is done, we can carry on in the heapstead buildings, which are either side of the main powerhouse building," he said.

"Until that work is done, we can’t really carry on."