Background info
Historic Mining Centre Lewarde

Guided tours
History

Miners' train waiting for visitors outside the old Fosse Delloye pit head building	Guides are ex-coalminers You've just been greeted by your guide, who introduces himself as an ex-coalminer. Your yellow train sets off, and within a few minutes you're in a small "cage", descending down the shaft to the underground galleries where the coal was dug. Underground You'll try not to think about the weight of rock above you. You're in the Delloye colliery, which worked from 1930 to 1971. Here a thousand miners dug out a thousand tons of coal a day. In its tunnels you see how they worked back in 1930, the facts of their everyday lives - accidents, pit disasters, strikes, silicosis.... and how it changed over the decades. Typical pit head Back on the surface, you see the "hanging room" where miners hung their clothes and helmets; the showers, sick-room, and where they kept the lamps. You'll see how they kept check on how many miners went down the pit, and how many came back up; see the stables for pit-ponies; and the traditional miners' canteen. Back to top
Underground tunnels leading to the coal-face See diagram of 19th century coal-mine
Miners & mining Coal-mining played a big part in the life of this area until recently. The displays here tell you all about 300 years of coal-ming in Nord/Pas-de-Calais - and the history of the coal itself, told through the fossils found as they mined the coal. Back to top

Background Information Coal-mining in Nord/ Pas-de-Calais Zola's famous novel about coalminers, 'Germinal' See diagram of 19th century coal-mine Canals Waterways - boat trips to Lewarde Back to top

...Very interesting visit. The guided tour into the reconstruction of the mine was very realistic. There is a hand held audio guide to accompany the visit, which is necessary, but not as in-depth as the French guide gives. Well worth visiting... Reviewer - Holden family, Kent - Why don't you snd in a review? Location: Fosse Delloye 59287 LEWARDE Directions: From A1 Paris-Lille autoroute, take exit 16, then N50 towards Douai, N421, D500, N45 to Lewarde. Information/ reservations: Mr. André Dubuc Tel: 00 33 3 27 95 82 82 Fax: 00 33 3 27 95 82 93

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