In Autumn 2021, we completed an oral history project focusing on recording people’s connection with Binley Colliery.

We captured their thoughts, feelings and memories of the land, during and after the colliery’s heyday, whether that be as a place of work when it was active, as a make shift playground following its closure or just of its continued presence in the area as Warwickshire Wildlife Trust’s Claybrookes Marsh.

It was a community-focused oral history project led by the Dunsmore Living Landscape Partnership and assisted by the University of Warwick through its Oral History Network. The Network attracted a new generation of history enthusiasts and students who have been helping us dive into learning more and showcasing Binley’s rich industrial heritage.

The volunteers were heavily involved, helping to review artefacts and documents from the local community, material from the various archives, transcribe the interviews and help curate the project booklet. Take a read of the online flip book version or download a copy.