Saturday 26 March 2011

National Coal Mining Museum

This week we went to the coal mining museum with the home ed group...and Gran.


Meeting the pit ponies. None of the ponies work down the mine anymore but they keep them to remind the public of the work they did. Especially after a law was passed meaning that the children had to go to school instead of working down the mines from 5-10 yrs old.
The three older kids and I went down the mines. It was an hour tour. It was brilliant, we saw models of the people working down there, the tools and machinery that were used and they even switched off the torches so that we could see how dark it used to be!
More machinery
Some coal that Googs found



There was lots to explore
More pit ponies


We then went to enjoy nature...and the sun!
Kiki asked me to make her a daisy chain necklace



and then a crown. "Me!, I'm a flower princess"
Fishing for frogs.


We even found a waterfall
And got to climb trees.

Spring is here!
This is a monument to the dead ponies.
I am not sure whether they bury them here or scatter their ashes.
We weren't expecting to connect to nature today, it was a pleasant surprise :)

5 comments:

Pip said...

looks like a really6 lovely place to go. we have nothing like coal mines down south. although we did take Brendan in to a tin mine in Wales, when he was very little.... note to self..... go see a mine!!!

Moogie said...

It is lovely, and best of all it is free! You shall just have to come up North and sample all the delights we have up here :)
We are hoping to get down south soon. We are going to visit family in Shoreham. I am just trying to figure out how we can fit in some visits to some English heritage sites.

Moogie said...

It is lovely, and best of all it is free! You shall just have to come up North and sample all the delights we have up here :)
We are hoping to get down south soon. We are going to visit family in Shoreham. I am just trying to figure out how we can fit in some visits to some English heritage sites.

Pip said...

we pop up to Manchester to see family but really need to get more creative with our trips. we also go further south as well for a bit of sea and sand!
i am going to goole shoreham now as no idea where that is lol xx

Kelly said...

What a fun day. we haven't visited a mine either but have intentions to after reading the Princess and the Goblins recently. Noah loves the daisy chains!