This section of the website contains the recollections of people who remember the mines when they were working or not long closed.
Richard hall
My story
I am now 74 years old, I was born in 1949. When I was 8 years old I lived at 16 Milner road Finedon.
It was a normal weekend, I said goodbye to my family and left with my luncheon pork sandwich with brown jelly, this time I decided to take my newest Christmas present, a 3 colour torch to show my friends. Mum and Dad never asked where I was going this was common back then, life was very different. Once at the rec I showed the older kids the torch “12 year olds”. We left the rec and headed to Pattersons farm, here the older kids told me they know a good location to explore with the torch, It was the local iron ore pit, I remember the pit was very large, the first bank we went down then it went back up and down everywhere. There was drag line excavators parked up these created the large strange landscape removing the over burden, I also remember seeing tin sheet sheds. In the bottom of these pits there were holes going inside the earth into absolute darkness, railway track blocked these holes from anyone entering them. We carried on walking around the pit I saw piles of railway track & sleepers. There was planks crossing the pits in various places with large drops below them, I stopped and paused while looking at these, I remember my uncle Arthur spoke about these daily, mostly about accidents happening on them. This was due to people not knowing the method of use. He said when you push the wheel barrow of ore across them, the plank you have to use the bounce & it was critical you went with the bounce. We carried on walking around the pit, in the bottom of one of the larger holes there was a gap under the bars. In the older kids went, they asked me to follow, I replied was it ok inside ? They replied yes. In we all went we started walking and walking. It started to feel like a lifetime in this dark hole, I started to notice the older kids looked scared I asked them what was wrong ? They replied WE ARE LOST. We all got upset quickly. All I remember is lights appearing in the darkness & hearing voices, THANKGOD it was uncle Arthur & the other pit men. We was all taken out safely, then dragged home for a firm telling off !
Alan Smith
https://www.burtonlatimer.info/people/Alan-smith.html
Colin dickinson
https://www.villagearchivegroup.com/colin_dickinson.php
https://www.villagearchivegroup.com/ironstone.php
Ian Smeeton talking to Martyn Ward about his time working for British Steel in the quarries