Creswell Model Village residents pay tribute to pit disaster miners » Communities » 24dash.com

A mark of remembrance took place at Creswell Model Village where families and ex-miners gathered to honour those who lost their lives in the pit disaster of 1950, which killed a total of 80 men.

Commemorative benches funded by Meden Valley Making Places (MVMP) were unveiled, highlighting the names of 14 of the miners who died.

Gary Kirk, Chief Executive of MVMP, said: “Whilst MVMP is working to revitalise former mining settlements where pits have closed, it is important for a community to remember its history.

“Many families still have close connections to the mines here, with their fathers, grandfathers and great-grandfathers losing their lives to the Creswell pit disaster.”

A welcome address was given by Gary Kirk before the benches were unveiled. There was also a service of commemoration from the Reverend David Hull and visitors were invited to attend the memorial to all 80 men who died at the nearby Skinner Street cemetery.

Bolsover District Council Cabinet Member for the Environment, Councillor Dennis Kelly said: “The pit disaster was a terrible tragedy and these benches will provide a fitting tribute in memory of those that lost their lives in a village that many of them will have lived and worked in for years.”

Creswell Model Village is part of a £12 million scheme to refurbish and modernise 245 historic homes in the Derbyshire village.

The two-year scheme to transform properties and public open space has involved MVMP in partnership with Bolsover District Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund, Villagate Properties Limited, and Henry Boot Construction (UK) Limited.

Creswell Model Village was built for the Bolsover Colliery Company between 1896 and 1900 to house workers at its Creswell Colliery.

After the colliery closed in 1991, many of the houses became uninhabitable and were boarded up, a far cry from the original vision for the community.

With restoration work complete, Creswell Model Village is again an attractive place to live, with 60 properties for sale through the project now purchased and the other 185 properties for rent occupied.

Gary Kirk added: “The project is a wonderful example of how strong partnership working can lead to lasting change and restore pride to an area that has gone through some extremely hard times.”