Councillor Philip Tye has started a campaign to bring the pulley wheel from Albany, Washington back to Silksworth Colliery, Sunderland.
Local groups including the Silksworth Resident’s Association Silksworth Heritage Group, Silksworth Banner Group and local councillors have been trying to find the location of the pulley wheel so that the lasting memory to commemorate the pit can be erected in Silksworth.
Councillor Tye, head of the Silksworth Residents Association whose father worked in the mine until its closure has been a strong advocate for its memory. He said: “My involvement around the campaign stems from my late father working at the pit and as a village we have nothing to remember the pit itself, you see many pit villages around the country with various examples but Silksworth have nothing.
“As for the residents many are still from mining families and they have been looking to get a structure in place to commemorate the pit, for them to find out that our pit wheel is still in existence is mind blowing but to find it in another pit village that has their own museum and wheels in just mad.
“Our next steps will be to march with our pit banner to Albany to again raise awareness of our campaign.”
The location of the pulley wheel was identified by an eagle eyed resident who spotted the pulley wheel outside the shopping precinct in Albany, Washington.
The pulley wheel which was used from 1968 until the mines closure in 1971 is engraved with a plaque which identifies it is the one from Silksworth, Sunderland.
A social media campaign and petition has now been started to have the pulley wheel returned to Sunderland.
Watch now as SR News searches for the newly found mining land mark:
