Bestwood Colliery.

[John]

Bestwood under the NCB was the area HQ, main area workshops and was once the area training centre.
Better known as the "Lancaster Drift" to older miners because of the drift driven by the original owners, the Lancasters.
The colliery had it's own village, built for miners who worked at the colliery.
The pit closed in the late 1960's but served as an emergency escape route for several local pits.
All that remains is one engine house with the unique vertical steam winding engines and the headstocks.

[John]

[John]

I forgot to add, the photo was borrowed from "Bestwood Winding Engine" site at www.stationarysteamengines.co.uk/stia/bestwood_winding_engine_house.htm where there are many photos of the vertical steam winding engine, completely restored.

[bulwellbrian]

After Bestwood was closed as a colliery some of Linby's coal was diverted to surface by the Lancaster Drift and was washed at the Bestwood Washery to keep industrial customers supplied.

[bulwellbrian]

I remember that Calverton downcast shaft was sunk before the war as a ventilaion shaft for Bestwood Top Hard workings. Calverton upcast was post war and was the coal winding shaft when Calverton became an independent colliery in the early 1950's working the High Main seam.

As a child I remember the railway line to the colliiery being built from near Bestwood both the LNER & LMS were connected. It was built as double track but only one was used. The other track was used to store waggons.

Because of the agreement with the railways to build the line it was agreed by the NCB that the entire output of Calverton colliery would be sent by rail.