Dean Lane Pit - 100 year commemoration

Southville Heritage Project

An art installation in a blacked out tent was set up at the event; people crawled into the tent through a small tunnel. Inside was the sound of an underground mine and illustrations of miners which they could see using torches.

The sound and images are incorporated in this piece, followed by interviews with people as they emerged from the “mine”.

Further Info | Transcript | Credits

Further Info

This story was created by people interested in Bristol’s mining history in and around the Bedminster area. It was led by Aikaterini Gegisian, Paddy Uglow and Katie White and was supported by Bristol’s Museums, Galleries & Archives.

Transcript

[Sound recorded inside a mine plays throughout the first section of the story]

Interview 1: My grandfather used to be a miner at this pit. He came out of the pit in 1914 to, obviously, go into the First World War where he got his toes blown off and then he came out and then he became a civil servant, but he used to be a miner at this pit. George Henley. He actually worked in this pit. Yes.

Interview 2: I thought it was wonderful - really did give you an idea of what it would be like to be hot and dark and listening to running water everywhere. To work in it as well would be absolutely horrendous.

Credits

Mine sound created by Mark Elsom, used under copyright licence.

Illustrations created by Tisa von der Schulenburg, used under copyright licence.

Event photography created by Helen Perry, used under copyright licence.

Archive material created by John Cornwall, used under copyright licence.