Princess Anne opens the Underground Experience 1987

Описание: History of the Underground Experience at Chatterley Whitfield
Chatterley Whitfield ceased production on 25th March 1977, and work began to convert the colliery into a visitor attraction including tours of the underground workings which opened to the public in 1979. Many of the surface buildings were renovated and machinery was restored in its original working condition to show in great realism the life and working conditions of local miners. The Winstanley shaft provided access into the deep level workings. At it’s peak, it attracted 70,000 visitors a year.

There are two main problems with underground workings – the first is that water seeps into the workings and they need to be constantly drained to avoid flooding. The second is the buildup of highly explosive methane gas, which is naturally given off from the decaying plant matter contained within the coal seams. Both of these problems were dealt with by the nearby Wolstanton colliery, to which Chatterley Whitfield was connected. Being at a lower level, water naturally drained to Wolstanton, from where it was pumped to the surface. Being an active colliery, Wolstanton also provided fresh air via its ventilation fans.

In May 1986, the nearby Wolstanton colliery was closed. This lead to fears that the underground mining experience at Chatterley Whitfield would flood and there would be a build up of gas. A new experience was constructed using shallow workings and a railway cutting. This enabled underground tours to continue until the museum with access via the Platt Shaft. The museum was put into liquidation in 1993 and subsequently closed on 9th August that year. All it's assets were auctioned off in 1994.

The original deep level tour area did indeed flood as predicted, and is now fully submerged. The replacement remain, but the structure built in the former sidings was demolished in 2006.