Cumbrian coal mine

Simon Marsh  |  Features  |  earth watch
Date posted:  1 Feb 2023
Share Add       
Cumbrian coal mine

An artist’s impression of the new coalmine near Whitehaven photo: West Cumbria Mining Company

A few weeks before Christmas, controversy exploded in the environmental world when the government gave planning permission for a coalmine in Whitehaven, Cumbria. It would be the first new coalmine in the country in 30 years.

Now the UK would not be what it is today without coal, a bountiful source of concentrated energy which has been exploited since Roman times. Plentiful supplies powered the Industrial Revolution and led to the creation of close-knit mining communities from the South Wales Valleys to the Clyde.

The industry experienced a long decline in the 20th century, not helped by militant strikes in the 1970s and 80s. I was reminded of this recently by the BBC series Sherwood, which focused on the bitter divisions created by the strike in the Nottinghamshire coalfield.

Share
< Previous article| Features| Next article >
Read more articles on:   environment
Read more articles by Simon Marsh >>
Features
Special places?

Special places?

Recently my church has been studying the opening chapters of Genesis, and although the focus was on male and female …

Features
Are we doomed?

Are we doomed?

‘We’re doomed’, a catchphrase familiar to viewers of Dad’s Army, might have been Private Frazer’s reaction to the recent …

Looking for a job?

Browse all our current job adverts

Search

About en

Our vision, values and history.

Read more