As part of the BBC Country Tracks programme filming took place at Chatterley Whitfield in April. This piece is part of a re-visit to the site based on visit done in 2000 by Dan Cruickshank's One Foot in the Past programme. The idea is to see the "progress" made in light of the regeneration project talked about in 2000.

The programme is to be transmitted on Sunday 15th August 2010 at 11am, on BBC 1.

Interesting to see if they simply concentrate on the limited amount of work done on site, rather than the deterioration of the remaining buildings & structures that are being ignored :curse:

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Looking at some very recent photos of the site as a whole I can't see how you could realistically say there has been any progress, merely 10 years of almost total neglect. 😠

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Looking at some very recent photos of the site as a whole I can't see how you could realistically say there has been any progress, merely 10 years of almost total neglect. 😠

Having been "hands-on" as a volunteer for a number of years I have to agree :thumbup:

But "the powers that be" are very good at spin :sneaky: , and always promote the new access road & refurbished offices (now an enterprise centre), plus I would imagine on this occasion the Heritage Country Park (landscaped tip to me). Of course that still leaves the remaining 90% of the site, which as you say has been neglected over the years :curse:

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that site was up and running at one stage..what happened, now its a site for the "new generation" offices, the rest is somewhat in rack and ruin, stuff lying about, scrap mans paradise. whats happened to the old coal incline, the dumps there used to hold dozens of old tubs too. time some-one got a kick up the arse for " killing what was a good experience for the non initiated.... beaurocracy gone mad.

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I've given up writing or trying to arrange a visit... all 3 contacts suggested by various parties in officialdom never even bothered to respond... good luck to the site if thats the type of people managing it from the authority!

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'beaurocracy gone mad' is missing the point rather.

Our late unlamented NuLab administration used unproductive beaurocracy as a sort of job creation scheme, setting up bodies of all descriptions whose only real function was to exist.

CW appears to be one such. Bodies of this sort differ from real-world organisations ( such as, it has to be said, mines.. ) in that they have no actual product which needs to be sold, at a suitable cost and standard.

However what they DO need to do, is survive in the rank undergrowth of pointless beaurocracy, all competing for the same funds; since none of them have any real function, they do this by creating inter-linked webs of beaurocracy, ticking as many boxes on as many different pages as possible.

The people as CW probably feel that they are a huge success, gaining brownie points by the by hatful, acquiring funds for new development, linking themselves to local planning, and even getting themselves on the tv.

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I've given up writing or trying to arrange a visit... all 3 contacts suggested by various parties in officialdom never even bothered to respond... good luck to the site if thats the type of people managing it from the authority!

:curse: Don't get me started on the question of site access, even the Friends are struggling & they are meant to be in the "partnership"!

There is of course this years Heritage Open Day, but the info I've seen states that "local residents" will get priority 😠 Can't see how they can even attempt to do this as the events are meant to be open to ALL

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So when is it and how does one apply to the faceless ones for access?

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So when is it and how does one apply to the faceless ones for access?

Heritage open Day @ Chatterley Whitfield is on Saturday 11th September 2010. Strictly by pre-booking, which can be done by telephoning 01782 827142 (assume office hours- but I'm not involved with the event!). As said before would argue the case if they try to impose "local" only as its part of the national scheme. This particularly "grates" as the locals have no interest & past experience shows that those that do book don't always bother to turn up :curse:

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any idea what the open day shows
can you get in the buildings

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any idea what the open day shows
can you get in the buildings

Can't be certain as I'm not involved this year, but usually includes (City Council permitting 😠 ) the baths & deployment centre, lamp house, refurbed main offices & "middle pit haulage engine house" (actually newest building on site, from museum days, housing u/g haulage engine salvaged from the Winstanley before access denied)

But its all down to H&S, funding, etc. :curse:

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Is it actually worth bothering with? ... will I be able to get photos of the various structures from the outside... or have the Stazi banished that off the program....? :bored:

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thanks, get hubby to ring them tomorrow and see what happens
can i take pics?

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Is it actually worth bothering with? ... will I be able to get photos of the various structures from the outside... or have the Stazi banished that off the program....? :bored:

Thats up to you!
😮 I'm just trying to keep people informed

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thanks, get hubby to ring them tomorrow and see what happens
can i take pics?

Yes you can take pics :thumbsup:

🙂 Hope you get places

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He just spoke to them and had booked 4 places
tour takes an hour and hard hats provided
read out some stuff about needing strong footwear and old clothes
tickets to be posted out nearer the time
will take some pics 😉

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Is it actually worth bothering with? ... will I be able to get photos of the various structures from the outside... or have the Stazi banished that off the program....? :bored:

Thats up to you!
😮 I'm just trying to keep people informed

Wasn't havin a dig was just askin if they allowed you to go any where near vthe structures on site or if its just a get what they show youn type show... I appreciate your answers on here! 🙂

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Tour usually does (depending on where they have agreed to start) inside lamp house, inside refurbished offices (to show what can be done- just needs to be repeated!!) over to Winstanley Shaft via boiler house & methane plant buildings. Then past old power house to Middle Pit Haulage Engine house (usually open to view engine), on past Institute, Platt & Hesketh shafts then into Baths. Its what they call the "safe route" as definited by heras fencing!

Not brilliant, but at least it gives some "official" public access :lol:

😞 As you can imagine it gets somewhat frustrating having to deal with those that should have more interest in moving things on, but thats another story

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I found a site with loads of photos of Chatterly Whitfield in :-
UK Urban Exploration Forums. under: Industrialsites Factories, Foundries, Warehouses, Collieries... 🙂

Looks like we were very fortunate to visit it when we did back in the '80s, such a great shame that it has been reduced to this when so much could have been done.


Grahami

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