National Forest: Pit-blighted land is handed back to mother nature

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For years, the coal industry brought work to South Derbyshire but, like South Yorkshire and South Wales, it took its toll on the countryside, leaving ugly scars and spoil heaps in its wake. But over the years, green has replaced the grey and the land has been restored to its original beauty – as Stuart Haywood reports.

THE transformation of the landscape of South Derbyshire has been amazing. I was sceptical of the plan to make the area the centre of the National Forest, but my doubts have been confounded.

The environment in which I grew up has been totally obliterated. The headstocks and spoil heaps of the pits and the great holes created to dig out the clay have all disappeared. No longer is it possible to see great mounds of sewer pipes outside drab, dusty clay works, glistening in the sun.

The planting of trees and making of footpaths started 10 years ago and recently the six millionth tree was planted.

The area of the National Forest is about 200 square miles over parts of Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire, joining Needwood Forest to Charnwood Forest.

Not only have all these trees and shrubs been planted, giving an environment suitable for wildlife to thrive, but derelict buildings, such as Sharpe’s Pottery in Swadlincote, have been given a new lease of life. The pottery was founded in 1821 and was famous for its production of water closets.

It was more or less abandoned in the 1960s and stood on the edge of Swadlincote town centre for 30 years, slowly crumbling away. In 1995, work started to transform the dilapidated buildings into an outstanding local amenity.

It now houses a pottery museum, lecture hall, small concert hall in an old kiln, coffee shop and tourist information centre. It also houses People Express, a group bringing arts and heritage to my populace, and my favourite – the Magic Attic – a vast archive housing copies of local newspapers, dating back to the 18th century. It also contains specialist facilities for anyone interested in pursuing research into their family tree.

At Moira, the iron smelting furnaces of 1804 has been restored and is a marvellous museum to local industry.

The Ashby canal at Moira is once more in evidence after having been closed for many years, owing to drainage problems caused by mining subsidence.

These are a few examples of improvements made during the last 10 years.

However, they were not the first attempts to improve the area. In 1923, an embryonic Eureka Park in Swadlincote came into existence.

This was on the periphery of the disused “shoddy” pit and consisted of a small collection of children’s amusements such as swings, Bobby’s button and mountain glide. It was called Swadlincote recreation ground.

Over the next 10 to 12 years, more of the “old shoddy” land was reclaimed resulting in the additions of tennis courts, bowling green, paddling pool and bandstand.

A big fillip to the progress of the rec was brought about in anticipation of the coronation of Edward VIII in 1937.

As we now know, Edward abdicated in December, 1936, in favour of his brother, Albert. He took the title of George VI and the arranged coronation went ahead on May 12, 1937.

To celebrate the occasion, a floral clock was created, plus a series of rose arches over the paths surrounding the formal area. At this point, Swadlincote recreation ground became Eureka Park. As a child, I spent many happy hours there.

Some time ago I was browsing through some old copies of Good Housekeeping and I came across suggestions for celebratory coronation teas for schoolchildren in 1937.

One menu cost one shilling (5p) per head and a cheaper version was sixpence (2½p).

The shilling tea consisted of three sandwiches per head with a choice of tomato, sardine or jam, two slices of brown or white bread, a scone and three fancy cakes, plus a fruit salad.

The meal was rounded off with a cup of tea or, if funds allowed, a bottle of pop. The sixpenny tea was not so lavish. It was made up of two slices of bread and butter, two jam sandwiches, two fancy cakes, a bun and slice of slab cake, plus similar beverages to the shilling tea.

I wonder if contemporary children would get excited about the prospect of these treats, especially the second.

If you think that was sparse, there were teas which cost fourpence (1½p).

Eureka Park evolved over a number of years, whereas the Maurice Lea Memorial Park at Church Gresley was a fait accompli when it was opened in 1930. The project was funded by businessman Herbert Lea in memory of his son, Maurice, who was killed in the First World War. Herbert was a Gresley-born man who had built up an empire of butcher shops nationwide, known as the London Meat Company. The park was sited on a part of Gresley Common much despoiled by inappropriate use. It had become a dumping ground for all sorts of waste and was pockmarked by men digging coal in times of hardship.

A century ago, it was common for pitmen to be on strike or locked out of their workplace and any benefits to alleviate hardship were very small.

Groups of miners got together and dug outcrop or shallow coal for their own use or to sell to anyone who would buy it, including businesses. This was known as fedding.

This eyesore was swept away with the establishment of a beautiful park. Tennis courts and bowling greens were part of the set-up, plus a marvellous bandstand. There were also paddling pools, swings and a tea room set among the flowerbeds.

Over the years, the parks have tended to be neglected due to the shortage of money to provide for their upkeep.

However, Eureka Park is looking better than it has for a number of years, thanks to the efforts of its friends.

The Maurice Lea Park has just received a £1m makeover and is looking a treat.

As it is across the road from where I live, I consider it to be my front garden.

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