SALTOM PIT REPRIEVE.
AT LAST..AFTER MANY YEARS OF DEBATE, DELAY & PROMISES, IT SEEMS THAT WORK HAS BEGUN ON THE RESTORATION OF ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT RELICS OF OUR COAL MINING HERITAGE. WHEN I BRAVED THE WINDS THIS MORNING( OCT.21.08) IT APPEARED THAT THE WHOLE SITE HAD BEEN FENCED OFF AND WORK WAS UNDERWAY CREATING A VITAL ACCESS ROAD.
LET'S HOPE IT SUCCEEDS.
It's Oct.30....2.10pm. and work is progressing .
THE WORK WAS FINISHED BY EARLY DECEMBER SO ON THE 8TH I VENTURED BACK TO SEE WHAT HAD CHANGED. ACCESS HAD BEEN MADE POSSIBLE WITH A SAFE PATHWAY SO THAT WAS A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION.
ON SITE THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF FURTHER WORK HAVING BEEN DONE . THE SEA WALL HAD BEEN RAISED A LITTLE AND A FURTHER WALKWAY PROVIDED.
THE BUILDINGS HAD BEEN GIVEN SOME ATTENTION, PRESUMABLY TO MAKE THEM A LITTLE MORE SECURE. HOWEVER, I WAS MOST SURPRISED TO SEE THAT MODERN BRICKS HAD BEEN INSERTED INTO THE OLD SANDSTONE . DISAPPOINTING SINCE THERE WAS A MASS OF SANDSTONE CLOSE BY.
THE GRASS CLOSE BY LAY WHAT LOOKED LIKE SEVERAL RAILWAY LINES BUT ON CLOSER INSPECTION I FOUND THAT THEY WERE INSCRIBED WITH COMMENTS RELATED TO THE PIT. PERHAPS THEY ARE GOING TO BE BETTER SITED AT A LATER DATE.
