DUFFEMS Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 In early 1980's we used to walk on the fields/meadows of what became the Rother Valley Country Park. Ironically, when they started doing the excavation work for the part which became the "lake" you needed wellies and very good calf muscles as the ground was very boggy, it's probably the reason why it was chosen for the water part of RVCP. When we moved to Beighton the land was still used by the farmer in Beighton, there were cows in the field but, only in the upper part because of the boggy nature of the land. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 Thanks hazel, for that bit of info' regarding the pub at Woodhouse Mill. I never did know what it's name was. Is it still there? It used to look like something out of 'Wuthering Heights'. I hope Trickytrace's daughter is getting something out of all this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hazel Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 Yes, as far as I know The Pricess Royal is still there. It used to stand on it's own looking very bleak, it's still on it's own but quite a few new houses have been built close by so I should think the clientele has changed. The Juction PUb has been gentrified too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Posted October 4, 2008 Share Posted October 4, 2008 That sounds like an excellent example of building on flood plains that we hear so much about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euclid Posted October 7, 2008 Share Posted October 7, 2008 Can anyone please tell my daughter doing a school project what the mine was called and any other information about it that used to be, where Rother Valley is now. It was somekind of coal mine but thats about all she knows!! She's only got 3 weeks left so any info sooner the better Cheers! It was called Meadowgate Opencast Coal Site,and was outcropped by Shand Mining from Matlock in 1976-81,before that the land was open fields with a scrapyard (Wards) in the middle where old railway carriages were cut up at the side of the River Rother.As my old mate :wave:cat 631 :wave:says there was an unexploded WW2 bomb (4000 pounder i believe) found on site buried in the sub-soil,it was detonated after half of the explosive had been removed one saturday about 5pm,and shook windows for miles around (ours included)even shattering some in Beighton.The Rother's course was re-located down the side of the railway track (where the lake is now)to allow mining operations to take place,then put back in it's original place when landscaped.Over a million tons of coal was extracted over 5 years.At the other end where Brookhouse pit was, the opencast site was called Pithouse East and was outcropped by A.F.Budge from Retford..1989..94.Coming back towards Walesbar ,between Walesbar and Waleswood at the back of the terrace houses was Pithouse West opencast site which was outcropped by Miller Mining from Leeds in 1972-76.Before all this Bedgreave Mill was actually the first opencast mine in the country starting around 1946-7 allowing coal to be extracted quickly after the 2nd world war.In the field opposite what used to be the Waleswood Hotel the Americans brought over and built a large walking dragline.....a Monaghan....so i was told,by some of the locals at the Bar who lived there at the time.......and travelled (walked) it across the fields to commence work on the coal site........... hope this helps a bit. this is a walking dragline.......... http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=nrjb-u9Nm5M&feature=related Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euclid Posted October 7, 2008 Share Posted October 7, 2008 There were two opencast coal sites that eventually became Rother Valley CP. One contained a scrapyard at the now restored Bedgrave Mill and a large WW2 bomb was discovered in the same area during mining operations. The other site was near to Swallownest and where Brookhouse Colliery used to be. here's something to help you load up cat631.............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cat631 Posted October 7, 2008 Share Posted October 7, 2008 Thanks Paul, great photo. Is this the one you dug up the bomb with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alankearn Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 All the view and more beyond the Aston bypass is where the opencast site was. I can remember it being a right old eyesore, anyone looking on this view now would not believe the mess it looked 15/20 years ago with the huge machines churning the ground up. http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y256/alankearn/DSC01499.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euclid Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 Thanks Paul, great photo. Is this the one you dug up the bomb with? Hi,631, No,actually it was this here, these missed it.. this is looking over towards beighton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrickyTrace Posted October 12, 2008 Author Share Posted October 12, 2008 Thanks everyone thats brill, My daughter better get an A* after all this. Cheers!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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