News: Ron Hull take down largest structure at century old pit

Experts at Rotherham-based Ron Hull Demolition have successfully demolished the hundred foot high coal train loading bunker on the Welbeck Colliery in North Nottinghamshire.

Production at the century old pit, one of the last two working collieries in Nottinghamshire, ended in May and the site is now being cleared by a specialist team.

Colliery manager Geoff Mountain, who is supervising the sealing of the mine and clean up of the site, said: "The rapid loading bunker was used to fill coal trains at high speed. It was capable of filling a train with sixteen or seventeen hundred tons in just two hours.

"Because of the height of the bunker and the fact that so much of the weight was in the series of hoppers in the top of the structure, it was decided that the quickest and safest way of demolishing it was to use explosives."

David Wall, contracts director at Ron Hull added: "It went down very gracefully and with remarkably little damage to the main structure. When the smoke cleared it was simply lying on its side. We can now get to work and dismantle it safely.

"The first phase of the demolition started in November and we have now taken down most of the buildings on the site including the main offices, which were thought to date back to the early days of the mine in 1911. The coal preparation plant, bunkers, and various ancillary buildings and workshops have also gone.

"The steelwork and metals are being removed to our recycling centre in Rotherham but all of the brickwork and stone is all being crushed on site and is to be used in the operation to fill the shafts."

The 700 metre mineshafts are set to be filled and the final stage of the site clearance will involve the removal of the mine's two headgears, which are also to be taken down by explosive demolition.

Ron Hull website

Images: Ron Hull Demolition