THE families of men who worked as miners at the famous New Fancy Colliery, near Parkend, are being invited to attend the unveiling of a plaque to mark the site of one of the two main shafts. The plaque was fixed to a commemorative stone this week.

On Saturday, September 10, Baroness Jan Royall, of Blaisdon, president of the Forest of Dean Local History Society, will carry out the formal unveiling.

Society spokesman Keith Walker, who with former chairman Ron Beard has guided the scheme to fruition, said it was unlikely anyone who worked at the pit would now be alive.

“The last coal was won in 1944. At one point it was one of the Forest’s biggest and most productive collieries and there will be many local people with strong family ties. They will be warmly welcomed to New Fancy to see the plaque unveiled.” he said.

The plan faltered when the stone — gifted to the History Society by Forest of Dean quarry owner, Jon Tainton — proved too big to move. However local developer Keith Bell, a Forest miner in his youth, loaned equipment from colleague David Dennis Ltd, of Newent, and with some gentle per-suasion guided the stone to its final resting place above the capped Number Two shaft.

The New Fancy site has become a tourist hotspot with a splendid viewpoint plus the well known Geomap and the Miners’ Memorial.

The History Society is producing a leaflet and plans a more a comprehensive story of the New Fancy site to be available on its website.

The unveiling of the plaque on September 10 coincides with National Heritage Day and Society members will be on hand to give visitors an insight into the Geomap and Miners’ Memorial.

Parkend band members will provide music before and after the official opening at 11.15am.

*New Fancy operated from 1827 until 1944 and produced coal for longer than any other Forest pit. At its peak over 500 men were employed there.