As we were in Selby taking some photographs for a post on the Selby Coalfield memorial, I suggested to my wife that we go and have a look at the Wistow Mine site. We arrived at the entrance and I walked a few metres into the old carpark. After a couple of minutes I got the attention of a bloke doing some ground work on the site. I explained to him who I was and what I wanted to do. He gave me a phone number for the owner of the site. I called Richard, who kindly gave me permission to take the photographs I wanted for my blog.
The rear of the boiler house.
Workshop entrance.
Electricians snap cabin door with the obligatory fruit stickers.
The last calendar. 2004 closure year.
The transformer and mine reactor caged areas.
Workshops.
Transformer cages.
No1 shaft cap with methane drainage valve.
Pit yard looking towards workshops.
Walking around the site, which now has no power, made me realise how long it was and how things have changed since the Selby Coalfield was producing coal. The site is now used for trailer storage and is under renovation, with members of staff on ground works and 24 hours security.
The dogs are owned by Damien, who kindly escorted us around, so we were safe, but we still gave the five guard dogs at various points a wide birth. What struck me, as it did on a visit to Riccall Mine recently, is how quiet the place is now.
I would like to thank Damien for his assistance and his escort of the site and Richard for his kind permission to access the site.
Selby Superpit 