Bevercotes Colliery
Mine in Nottinghamshire, Nottinghamshire, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bevercotes Colliery was the first fully automated mine. It went into production in July 1965.[1] Located in Bevercotes to the north of Ollerton, the colliery was, alongside Cotgrave Colliery, one of two new collieries opened in the county of Nottinghamshire in the 1960s.[2] The colliery was closed in 1993 and turned into a nature reserve.[3]
  Bevercotes Colliery Location in Nottinghamshire | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Location | Nottinghamshire |
| County council | Nottinghamshire |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 53°15′29″N 0°57′40″W |
| Production | |
| Products | Coal |
| History | |
| Opened | 1965 |
| Closed | 1993 |
| Owner | |
| Company | British Coal |
The mine was served by a single track, 4.5 mi (7.2 km) branch railway opened in June 1960.[4]
Miners' strike 1984-5
During the UK miners' strike (1984–85), Bevercotes Colliery voted approximately two-to-one against strike action in a ballot held on 15–16 March 1984.[5] During the strike, Chris Butcher, a miner from Bevercotes Colliery, became well known as 'Silver Birch' who was funded by the Daily Mail to travel around the UK actively opposing the strike; he was also involved in organising legal action to block the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), who were running the strike.[6] In October 1985, Bevercotes miners voted to leave the NUM in favour of the Union of Democratic Mineworkers by 782 votes out of 1,372 cast (57%).[5]