Residents' dismay as historic Brinsley Headstocks are dismantled by the council

Brinsley Headstocks has been described by local residents as ‘one of the final remnants of mining’ as they are wooden tandem headstocks and are one of the last remaining examples of such in the country.

Last year, however, the council fenced off them from the general public after an inspection from a structural engineer highlighted safety concerns regarding the wooden structure.

Then last month, the council removed the structure altogether, saying it ‘posed a risk to public safety’.

But some residents, including campaign group The Friends of Brinsley Headstocks, were horrified to see chainsaws being used on the structure as it was dismantled.

One resident, posted on social media: “It was said the Brinsley Headstocks would be carefully dismantled to salvage as many timbers as possible.

"The headstocks were all bolted together and not one bolt has been taken out.

"All the timbers have been cut up with chainsaws.

"I would say, looking at the timbers, 90 per cent are not rotten.

"Brinsley Headstocks should be put back as they were to show future generations our past and how we worked.”

Another said: “There is a lot of local concern about the actions taken by the council as it now appears the wood was largely sound and a restoration of this important historical structure may have been possible, as the council originally promised, rather than its wholesale destruction.”

A council spokesperson said: “Earlier this year, the Brinsley Headstocks were fenced off from the general public after an inspection from a structural engineer highlighted that the wooden structure was at risk of imminent collapse.

"After fencing off the structure, regular site inspections have been undertaken, whilst a number of options for the headstocks were considered.

"Signs were erected on the site to inform residents of the situation and the Friends of Brinsley Headstocks have been kept informed.

"At the beginning of September 2023, the metal colliery wheels were removed, in the hope that the timbers from the towers could be salvaged.

"However, a more recent site inspection highlighted that one of the legs of the tower had started to collapse indicating that the structure had deteriorated further.

“Given the continued decline, restoration of the structure, as it currently stood was no longer possible and in the vested interest of public safety, the most appropriate course of action was to have the headstocks dismantled.

“The headstocks were safely dismantled in December and the materials are currently being sorted to assess if there is anything that may be reusable for a future structure.

"A report is currently being prepared to outline potential replacement options and the costs associated with those, which will be considered by cabinet.

"We understand that local residents feel very passionate about the headstocks and their heritage.

"We’d like to offer reassurance that all iron work is being saved and each piece of wood is being checked carefully and salvaged where possible.

"If we find wood with signs of rot, it is not viable to be retained.

"We will be running a consultation regarding possible replacement options for headstocks in the coming months and will share more details about how residents can share their views when this is available.”