Brinsley Headstocks: Campaigners call for landmark's return

MPs Darren Henry and Lee Anderson promised residents their views would be heard

The return of a "unique" part of Nottinghamshire mining heritage is being demanded by campaigners.

The headstocks - a rare wooden example of the system used to take miners into the pit - were removed from the site in Brinsley in December.

Residents have now organised a gathering at the site to show "strength of feeling" over the issue.

But Browtowe Borough Council said the structure was a safety risk, and added its future had not been decided.

The headstocks were on the site of the old colliery but not in the exact original position

The Brinsley headstocks have a working history dating back to 1872. The pit employed the father of author D.H. Lawrence and features in one of his books.

They were moved to another pit when Brinsley closed and in 1970 they went to a mining museum, before returning to the Brinsley site - though not in the exact original position.

But after fencing off the structure earlier in the year, the council said further inspections showed one of the legs was collapsing, with more rot elsewhere.

It was removed on 15 December as it "posed a risk to public safety" but officials said the timber would be assessed and stored.

About 35 people gathered at the site on Friday to hear from Broxtowe MP Darren Henry, accompanied by Ashfield MP Lee Anderson.

Nigel Harrison said local residents must be included in decisions about what replaces the structure

They said they would look to raise the matter in Parliament and gather opinions about what should replace the headstocks.

Organiser Nigel Harrison said he was "delighted" with the turnout.

"It just shows how much people care about it," he told the BBC.

"We want to draw attention to what has happened here, the fact they have been disassembled with a chainsaw rather than being carefully preserved.

"The main aim is to get this unique structure replaced.

"We can't replace the old woodwork because it has been cut up but we want something that is a complete replica.

"We need to make our feelings known. We want something that is as close as possible to what we had before, not some steel structure or some wagon wheel mounted in a plinth."

Several campaigners emphasised the importance of saving the original ironwork

A council spokesman reiterated that a survey had identified areas of rot in the headstocks while sound sections had been retained.

The spokesman added: "A public consultation will be undertaken in the coming months and from that a report will be taken back to committee for members to make a decision on."