What have you done today with your Austin Seven

[Reckless Rat]

The coal mine in our village, St Florent sur Auzonnet was sunk in 1950, the main shaft being dug to a depth of just over 800 metres. The coal is mainly anthracite, with seams over 2 metres thick. During the short life span of the colliery it was the most productive deep mine in Europe. However, with anthracite being mainly only suitable (art the time) for ships and railway locomotives, the change to diesel/electric caused the market to dry up and the pit closed in 1974. This, and the move to nuclear was the death knell for deep mined coal throughout France as none of it was suitable for coal burning power stations that preferred the brown stuff from Poland. As far as I am aware there is no longer any coal mining in France although huge stocks remain unexploited. Opencasting carried on for a few more years but closed down over 20 years ago. No maintenance has been carried out underground so the infrastructure is lost.

The main shaft was dynamited in 1975 and very little remains apart from a few, very old ex-miners and a small museum.