Chatterley Whitfield Heritage Centre

Legal access to the Hesketh Powers House at Chatterley Whitfield. Photographs taken a few years ago, sent to Chatterley Whitfield Friends by the photographer.

To film at Chatterley Whitfield there are a few rules and regulations you must adhere to... This film crew from Staffordshire University got it right and enabled the permission to film very easy to get.....

We had a film crew on site, and the council arranged to have some of the fencing removed.  Could not resist had to take some photographs mainly of the Winstanley and old Power House.....

It has not been possible to go underground at Chatterley Whitfield for many years because the passages are flooded. More recently, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, as landowner, has imposed severe restrictions on visiting Whitfield because of concerns over safety. Some buildings are in a dangerous condition and almost all buildings are closed for the foreseeable future because there may be asbestos in them. Currently, the only way for members of the public to visit the site is on the annual Heritage Open Day in September. Sometimes, special visits for school groups can be arranged, but these must be arranged several months in advance. Some of the land around the perimeter of Chatterley Whitfield, however, is open to the public, and you can get an excellent view of the site from the top of the nearby tip. You can book your place on the 2013 Heritage Open day after the 1st August 2013 by visiting this link page :  Heritage Open Day 2013

Our new website, which is far from finished is now online.  I say far from finished as I am finding that as people get to know about us, I seem to get the reoccurring comment; 'I have found this, can you use it ?'.  In otherwords more photos, video, audio, documents, memories.....ALL WELCOME. So the site will and will continue to be Work in Progress... Check it out at www.chatterleywhitfieldfriends.org.uk

Friends of Chatterley Whitfield chatterleywhitfieldfriends@gma il.com Newsletter April 2013. Chairman Don Munro 01782 536566 e-mail:jean.munro@virgin.net Vice Chairman Jim McPhillips 01782 637963 Secretary Alex Cope 01332 862710 e-mail: chatterleywhitfieldfriends@gma il.com Treasurer Geoff Oakes 01782 533576 e-mail:geoff_oakes2000@yahoo.co.uk Welcome to a very delayed Winter/Spring Newsletter for which I apologise. As you can see from the above at our AGM in November there were a number of changes to the committee. After many years Jim asked for personal reasons if he could step down as Chair and Don superbly stepped up and was voted in as our new Chair. For almost the same reasons Mick stepped down as secretary and Alex stepped up and took over as secretary. Geoff remains as our Treasurer. I am sure we would all want to thank Jim and Mick for their amazing help in keeping the Friends together and in help making the Annual “Heritage Open Day” ...

Belts, Bells and the Bullhurst by Barbara Harding It was to be the ultimate experience for my two friends and I, when in 1953 we went on an underground visit to the Bullhurst seam in Chatterley Whitfield colliery. At that time I was one of only three girls working in the area laboratory based at the pit. When the visit was first mentioned, we were all very excited, if a little apprehensive. However, Gladys Walker, Joyce Dawson, and I were very keen to experience what it was like to work underground. We were told to bring in some old clothes. I had a boiler suit and a pair of strong but comfortable shoes. We were to go underground after work on Friday evening. My boss Mr Walter Robertson, the Area Chief Scientist, would accompany us. We all felt thrilled by this wonderful opportunity to see pitmen and pit work at first hand. The visit started when I was given a black pit helmet that had to be adjusted to stop i...

I am always searching the internet, looking for articles and I came across this link to the Chatterley Whitfield News, issue 1, Autumn 1986 Chatterley-Whitfield-News Do you have an other articles or memories you can share ? Please get in touch In the meantime a bit of light reading..... www.aditnow.co.uk - Chatterley-Whitfield-Coal-Mine - History Reading

The Friends of Chatterley Whitfield   The members of the Friends all have different reasons for joining. Some used to work at Whitfield while others worked in the mining industry elsewhere. Some live or used to live nearby while others have never been to the city. Some are interested in the site’s past, and others in its future. We have one thing in common, however. We don’t want to this important site to be forgotten. The Association started in 2001 as part of the project by English Heritage, English Partnerships, Stoke-on-Trent City Council and others to regenerate the site. We are independent of any other organisation, but we are a member of the Chatterley Whitfield Partnership. We have a formal constitution with elected officials and a committee. Our Patron is Sir Neil Cossons OBE, who used to be one of the directors of the Chatterley Whitfield Mining Museum and was the Chairman of English Heritage during the first six years of this regener...