April 2025 Picture of the Month

An interesting day out exploring Radstock's Coal Museum and the few remains of the one-important Somerset Coalfields early this month brought me to this surprisingly fresh-lookimg colliery spoil heap – known locally as a 'Batch' – which seemed to deny that it is almost 60 years since Old Mills Colliery, from whence the spoil came, closed in 1966, and 52 years since Somerset's last colliery closed in 1973. Somerset once had 79 collieries – one just about two miles from the Georgian elegance of Bath – and deep coal-mining in the area can be traced back to the early 17th century. In the lean years of the 19th century, when the textile industry was in decline and many people were looking for any form of work, The Bath Journal noted, on 12 April 1830 that, from Radstock, 'In six days, 67 tons 9 cwt of coal was hauled into Frome, from Radstoke coal works in 300 trucks, drawn by 392 men, 34 women, and 294 children, all harnessed like cattle.'  Canon 5D MkIV, 24-105mm EL zoom lens at 105mm.