[W]orkington Town Council has announced that it has received initial support* from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the restoration of Jane Pit as a memorial to mine workers in Workington.
At this initial stage, development funding of £33,600 has been awarded by the HLF to progress Workington Town Council’s plans further, with the aim to apply for full grant funding to carry out the project in 2019.
Made possible by National Lottery players, the project aims to restore the pit head at Jane Pit, introduce a formal grounds maintenance plan and establish interpretative displays and lighting to memorialise the structure.
Throughout the project Workington Town Council is also proposing to host a series of community activities at the site to engage young people with local history and promote volunteer opportunities. This will be achieved in partnership with Workington Heritage Group and Allerdale Borough Council, with the assistance of archaeologists from Dig Ventures.
Although closed in 1875, Jane Pit is still a strong visual feature of Workington’s mining past that lends itself to be a memorial to the heritage of the town.
Councillor Antony McGuckin of Workington Town Council’s Culture Committee said: “We’re delighted that we’ve received this support thanks to National Lottery players. We do not want to lose this remaining physical evidence of the importance of coal mining in the area and are keen to secure its future. We are also concerned that the important knowledge of how coal mining has shaped Workington’s development will be lost, if we do not preserve this monument.”
