Councillors in Broxtowe, Nottinghamshire, have unanimously voted to restore Brinsley Headstock to its original form after it was demolished last year over safety concerns, sparking an outcry from residents.
The headstock is the last remaining structure of its kind in England and was used to transport men and coal in the region’s collieries from 1872 until 1970, when the last collieries closed.
The structure is a distinctive part of the landscape and is also famous for its association with D.H. Lawrence, whose father worked in the mines and was immortalised in his 1913 novel, Sons and Lovers.
When protests were held at the site in January, with only a pile of wood remaining where the tower once stood, residents said their local cultural heritage had been “callously cut down”.
City council members met Tuesday to decide whether to build a replacement for the oak frame, a lower-maintenance steel frame or use the headstock’s original materials to create an interactive piece of art.
They voted unanimously in favour of replacing the oak framing at an estimated cost of up to £220,000 and “preserving the original aesthetic of the building”.
Milan Radulovic, Labour leader on Broxtowe Borough Council, said the lack of a permanent memorial to the mines in the area had been a long-standing “point of contention”, and argued it was the council’s duty to fully rebuild the headstock. “Some people are saying, ‘does it make economic sense, can we do it cheaper? Of course it can. The answer is we just have to do it the way it was,” he said.
“It is our responsibility to preserve our heritage and culture and we will do so. We will replace the headstock with an oak model to show future generations our gratitude to the working class for the prosperity of this country. Parliament may forget it but I will never forget it and neither will my colleagues.”
Radulovic also said he wanted to build a “lasting memorial” for those who lost their lives in the mines.
Ken Hamilton, chairman of the Friends of Brinsley Headstock, which campaigned for the restoration of Brinsley Headstock, said: “This is something we’ve been asking for for a long time. It’s great for Brinsley because it’s a Brinsley landmark. We wanted it to the same specification as the existing one. We said if it was going to be built it had to be made out of wood like the old days. We’re all relieved that we now have what we wanted.”
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A report to the council’s cabinet highlighted that maintaining the replacement pillars would cost around £6,000 a year and said “the inherent nature of timber means that no matter how much maintenance is carried out, concerns will remain about their stability and robustness”.
A structural engineer’s inspection in January 2023 determined that the original axle was in “imminent risk of collapse.” In September, the metal mine wheels were removed and stored, but it was later determined that the wooden structure had deteriorated further and posed a risk to public safety, and it was to be demolished completely.
At a public consultation on the site’s future, 70% of respondents supported a timber replacement, compared with 12% who chose steel.
A Broxtowe Borough Council spokesman said: “A project committee has been established, led by the council leader and elected members will work to deliver the project as quickly as possible.”
