Between the years 1952 and 1999 Calverton had its very own colliery.
Click HERE to continue the history of Calverton Colliery
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Click here to view the turf cutting ceremony

Click here to view miners arriving 11/01/46

Click here to see the visit of HRH Princess Margaret
Princess Margaret back on the surface
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Manager - Mr W.T. Elliott looking over plans
Colliery Timeline:

1935 : Surface layout of the colliery designed by Geoffrey Jellicoe

1936 : Decision made to sink mine shaft in Calverton

1937 : An announcement is made by B.A. Collieries that it plans to have a coal mine at Calverton. They say the
proposed mine should yield 100 million tonnes of coal. They also point out that men will be employed for over
"125 years".
April :  Road work and erection of temporary buildings
June 14 : Number 1 shaft - First sod cut by Captain C.B. Lancaster and Sir Hugh Seely

1938 : Proposal to build village to house mineworkers (500 houses)
February : Number 1 shaft reaches a depth of 64 yards

1939:
May 22 : Number 1 shaft final depth of 562 yards is reached
September : Baths, canteen and Lamp Cabin erected plus 22 houses near the pit
October : Housing estate of 500 houses proposed next to pit (Phase 2)
October/November : Number 1 shaft brought into operation for ventilation and manriding from Bestwood

1942 : Concert staged by ENSA in canteen

1944 :
December : Work started for sinking number 2 shaft and building a permanent winder and headgear

1945 :
February : Order placed for new winder with Messrs Fraser and Chalmers, Erith, Kent
April : Application made to LMS and LNER railways to supply railway service
May : Calverton borehole 1.25 miles east of shaft completed

1946 :




















January 1 : Number 2 shaft, turf cutting ceremony hosted by Captain C.B. Lancaster.
January 12 : Start of second shaft

1947 : All U.K Collieries are nationalised and will now be run by the National Coal Board.

1950 : Underground drivages commenced in High Main Seam
August : Number 2 shaft has now reached a depth of 350 yards

1952 :
June 12 : Number 2 shaft, Final depth of 1688 ft reached at Top Hard Seam
September 24 : The mine is officially opened by Right Honourable Lord Leathers the Secretary of State for
Fuel and Power

1953 :
March : Main ventilation and skip winding equipment installed at Number 2 shaft - Also coal winding commenced from High Main (383 yards) at Number 2 shaft
September : First Longwall face opened out in North-Westerly direction
October : Second Longwall face commenced

1954 : Coal Preperation Plant commissioned early in the year




















April 7: Visit by HRH Princess Margaret to see 9's Face.

1957 : June : Visit by Hugh Gaitskell

1960 : Davidson-Sirocco ventilation fan fitted

1961 : December : First million tonnes of coal produced
in a year

1968 :
February : Manager - Mr W.T. Elliott (right) departs from
the colliery
September : Rapid loading Bunker completed

1969 : 600,000 pounds N.C.B. says is to be invested for
new reserves.

1970 : Project began to develop Low Bright/Brinsley Seam

1972 :
September : Brinsley Seam - C1's face commenced

1973 :
November : Brinsley Seam - C2's face commenced

1975 : New Larger Baum Washboxes installed on the Coal Preperation Plant
March : Brinsley Seam - C4's face commenced

1977 :
December : Last production face in High Seam finished

1979 : 750 tonne surface bunker commissioned - Number 2 shaft has new headgear, pulley wheels and larger winding engine fitted and also its skip payload scheme is raised from 10.5 tonnes to 12.5

1980 :
January : Completion of the fitting of new ventilation fan and face drift

1982 : Now employs approximately 1500 men.

1988 : Given three months to improve performance, by British Coal, or face closure

1992 : Calverton Colliery,which now employs 749 men, along with 7 other Nottinghamshire mines, are to close British Coal announces. This coming in the same week that the pit broke the weekly production record of 40,500 tonnes.

At this time a documentary was made about the miners plight. It was filmed on location at Calverton.
Press the picture to view the 'In the Black' programme. Warning do not enter if swearing easily offends you.