Super-Pit, Burton Green, Warwickshire

The Super-Pit

Deep beneath this part of Warwickshire lies a thick seam of high quality coal.
The Warwickshire Thick Coal Seam consists of extremely high quality coal in a seam approximately 8 metres thick. The seam lies at a depth of 1100 metres.
The area is bounded in the West by a fault line, roughly near Berkswell, which depresses the coal seam to a much greater depth. To the South, the seam deepens slightly, to over 1200 meters South of Kenilworth, and then splits into 8 separate thinner seams.
In 1985, British Coal announced its intention to build Europe's biggest Super-Pit, here.
A map showing the Super-Pit area, with Cromwell Lane-Hob Lane running across its centre, was published on the front page of the Coventry Evening Telegraph.
Coventry Telegraph Front Page

Protest March to Kenilworth Castle The plan was to mine 115 square kilometers around Burton Green. This would have included the entire area beneath the town of Kenilworth.
There was some very strong local opposition to the plan.
The photo at the left, and the one below, show Kenilworth residents marching to a rally held on the green outside Kenilworth Castle.

Protest Rally at Kenilworth Castle

Coventry Telegraph 21 June 1985 Coventry Telegraph 8 October 1985

British Coal Publicity Newspaper The site eventually selected as the Pit-head was Hawkhurst Moor (see propaganda newssheet, left).
The article at the right, from the Coventry Telegraph, is a report of a speech given to local businessmen by the Energy Minister, Mr Peter Walker.
Report of speech by Peter Walker

At a meeting between local Members of Parliament and the Chairman of British Coal, a British Coal spokesman, Peter Binns stated "There is no way we're not going ahead with this scheme".
The British Coal negotiators, led by the infamous Ian McGreggor (the man who defeated the NUM), were perceived as thugs and bullies.
Report of meeting with British Coal

British Coal Map of Pit Area About a year after the initial announcement, British Coal published the map, shown left, detailing the proposed railway sidings, the location of spoil heaps, etc.

Fortunately the scheme didn't proceed, at the time, because of financial difficulties at British Coal.

Deep beneath this part of Warwickshire lies a thick seam of high quality coal. The Warwickshire Thick Coal Seam consists of extremely high quality coal in a seam approximately 8 metres thick. The seam lies at a depth of 1100 metres. The area is bounded in the West by a fault line, roughly near Berkswell, which depresses the coal seam to a much greater depth. To the South, the seam deepens slightly, to over 1200 meters South of Kenilworth, and then splits into 8 separate thinner seams. In 1985, British Coal announced its intention to build Europe's biggest Super-Pit, here. A map showing the Super-Pit area, with Cromwell Lane-Hob Lane running across its centre, was published on the front page of the Coventry Evening Telegraph.
	The plan was to mine 115 square kilometers around Burton Green. This would have included the entire area beneath the town of Kenilworth. There was some very strong local opposition to the plan. The photo at the left, and the one below, show Kenilworth residents marching to a rally held on the green outside Kenilworth Castle.