Oakthorpe Donnisthorpe Stuart Galloway
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U3A WTT Oakthorpe Donnisthorpe Stuart Galloway Route Summary A circular walk starting in Oakthorpe via Donnisthorpe Woodland Park site of the former Donnisthorpe Colliery Route Overview Category: Walking Length: 8.770 km / 5.48 mi Last Modified: 5th April 2016 Difficulty: Medium Rating: Unrated Surface: Average Date Published: 3rd April 2016 Description Starting point car park at the Shoulder of Mutton pub Chapel Street Oakthorpe DE12 7QT, ask landlords permission to park. Waypoints Oakthorpe (52.71374; -1.52598) 1 / 12 In 1086, Oakthorpe was part of Derbyshire and was amongst several manors given to Nigel of Stafford by William the Conqueror. In the past Oakthorpe's main use was for mining as there were numerous deep active mines in the area, however since the closing down of the mines in the 1990s Oakthorpe has simply become a residential village. The earliest records for coal mining in Leicestershire and South Derbyshire go back to the early thirteenth century; although it is likely that coal was mined before this time, possibly back to prehistoric times. During the mediaeval period Leicester Abbey owned the lands of Oakthorpe and was known to burn coal supplied by packhorse and cart from its lands; it is likely that the coal came from Oakthorpe. The first record of mining at Oakthorpe dates from 1412 and suggests that it had been established for some time. From the fifteenth to the seventeenth centuries landowners and yeomen farmers made their living from a mixed economy of mining and agriculture; in 1606 Oakthorpe mine produced some 3000 tons of coal and employed around 20 men. It is interesting to note that compensation for damage caused to the land by mining was being paid to tenants in 1635 so it is not just a modern problem. Major expansion of the Leicestershire coalfield continued from the middle of the eighteenth century until the end of the nineteenth century when its heyday was almost over and the canal was starting to decline in favour of the railway. By the middle of the twentieth century the deep mines were all closed and had been replaced with opencast mining, running in two phases; the first during the 1940?s and early 1950?s took shallow deposits and the later phase from the early to late 1980?s taking a deeper cut. The mines have been extremely problematic for the residents of Oakthorpe, and this became a national issue when underground coal fires in the 1980s resulted in numerous houses and buildings being deformed and restructured, some to the point where they became so inhabitable that they had to be demolished. This problem was a result of the sulphurous coal, which lay beneath the village, which is capable of spontaneous combustion when exposed to sufficient air. Although most of the coal seems in the area were at a deep level, there was a shallow seam of coal which outcropped just South of School Street, inclining away from the street at an angle of about 20 degrees in a Northerly direction. In September 1983, a property in School Street suffered substantial damage so the National Coal Board were notified and in 1984 they sank boreholes. This showed that the ambient temperatures had substantially raised however the board denied liability and did nothing to; halt the fire, inform the county, the district or the parish councils or adjacent 2 / 12 property owners, despite the fact that they had carried out a smoke test that showed an influx of air, the very cause of combustion. Their failure to notify anyone meant the fire continued to smoulder unchecked. On the 4th April 1985 the County Council noticed a deformation of the carriageway. The NCB were contacted but once again denied liability. By the end of July smoke issued from a depression in another property in School Street so Leicestershire County Council decided to take action and engaged consultants who commenced monitoring procedures for subsidence temperatures and gaseous emissions, as well as borehole investigations to find out the extent of the fire. There was a great panic over the potential dangers and spread of fire and the media were soon involved, broadcasting the dangers in national newspapers, chat shows and the BBC news. Several more houses became unfit for habitation due to the subsidence caused by the fire, therefore had to be demolished and the residents re-housed. Despite the NCB's reluctance to admit responsibility, at this point they did get involved and agreed to pay for the rehousing of residents, refurbishment of houses and the prevention of the fire. They introduced 4 rigs into the area and drilled/injected grout and cement into the mines in order to stop the fire. They also put 4 extra rigs around the school in order to protect it. Since the 1980s, the Coal Authority have paid £95,000 towards general repairs in the village, but have not accepted responsibility for the subsidence. Although the fires are no longer burning the village is still very much affected by the mines, as many residents are still waiting for their houses to be repaired. Similarly, Oakthorpe?s mining past has had a huge effect on the property market as both the fear of the fires being re-kindled and the general 'run-down' look of the village has meant that many locals have not been able to sell their homes. Leave the pub car park onto Silver Street and turn right onto Main Street. Carry on until next left Canal Street, which leads to a footpath, by the side of large metal gates. Carry on this path going over two flash pools caused by subsidence. Pass another pool on the right and proceed over a stile along the rear of properties in Ramscliffe Avenue. On the left there is a large chimney of unknown history. The path meets the Ashby Wolds Heritage Trail. This follows the route of the Ashby and Nuneaton Joint Railway.( More on this later).Turn right onto the trail and almost immediately you meet Church Street with the church of St John the Evangelist on the left. St John's Church (52.72221; -1.53449) 3 / 12 The church, dedicated to St. John, was built and endowed in 1838, at an expense of £6000, chiefly by three maiden ladies of the name of Moore; it is a neat edifice, with a tower and pinnacles. A national school was built in 1840, by Sir John Cave Browne Cave, Bart., by whom, also, it is supported. Cross Church Road and enter Donnisthorpe Woodland Park on the site of the old colliery. Donnisthorpe Woodland Park (52.72294; -1.53400) 4 / 12 The colliery owners Checkland and Williams first sank the mine in 1871 to a depth of 205m (672 feet). In 1890 they deepened mine to 263m (863 feet). Donisthorpe Colliery was originally 2 pits. The current No.1 Shaft was Donisthorpe Lower Pit and No.2 Shaft was Donisthorpe Upper Pit ? different Mining Companies worked both. In 1903 the mines came under the control of the newly formed Donisthorpe Colliery Company Ltd. Over the next sixteen years they introduced a number of changes and improvements. These included installing electricity underground to replace steam and oil powered equipment. The mine output was tripled to 300,000 tons per annum over this time. In the 1940's new reserves were being actively sought, in what became the Oakthorpe, South, Newfields and Woodfield sections. To help work these reserves a new pit bottom was constructed. Following Nationalisation, 1948 to 1952 saw the installation of modern mechanical coal winning equipment and a complete re-organisation of the main underground road transport and winding operations. As a result output rose to about 750,000 tons per annum and by the mid sixties, it had reached 1,039,018 tons per annum. To improve coal handling in 1980 a 2,200m long drift was driven to connect the pit to Rawdon surface. At the same time Donisthorpe pit bottom was reorganised and an 800 tonne vertical bunker installed. Despite the improvements over the years and the still considerable reserves (22 new faces had recently been created in this mine complex, only one of which had started production) the Mine was deemed uneconomic and scheduled for closure in 1991. As all the faces were good and level, with plenty of room the miners could not understand why the pit was being closed. Donisthorpe Woodland Park was created in 1996 by Leicestershire County Council on the former site of Donisthorpe Colliery, which was opened in 1857. The colliery lagoons have been capped with clay and planted with new woodland. Grey alder acts as a 'nurse' species to the 20ha of newly planted woodland of Corsican pine, larch, oak, ash and cherry by creating shelter. A coppice hazel wood will provide bean and pea sticks for local gardeners. The Hooborough Brook flows through the site with mature willow woodland on its banks and the line of the Ashby Canal runs along the edge of the park from which a network of rolled stone paths established lead across the site. Carry on the trail going over Poplar Avenue. Poplar Avenue (52.73001; -1.53867) These houses were built in 1880 for local workers with the back of the house facing the road. This may be because a second row was to be built but was never started. Continue over two more roads and just after the second one turn right signposted to Bath Yard and enter Moira Junction Local Nature Reserve. Nature Reserve (52.73946; -1.54802) 5 / 12 The nature reserve was built on the site of the former rail coal stocking yards.