Silverdale Colliery closed in 1998 and became a popular 83-hectare country park, although many visitors did not know its past. Volunteers, park rangers and local historians trained and worked together to collect memories and photographs of local people through heritage roadshow events and ‘listening stations’ at libraries. Some locals donated items, maps and reel-to-reel tapes which were passed to local museums and archives to be cared for.

Many people were happy to talk about their memories but became nervous about recording. We overcame this to some extent by suggesting they have conversations with friends and family while we recorded them.

Chris Leech, Community Project Co-ordinator

The volunteers and historians worked with two schools, taking them to a mining museum, hosting conversations with retired miners and working with a community artist to create a new park sculpture. The pupils helped design a trail of ten outdoor display boards and an eight-page booklet containing information about the site and a quiz. Over 200 local people and a regional TV station celebrated the launch of the trail.