Walking Together

In 1882, the Staveley Iron and Coal Company sank its first shaft at Markham Colliery, Derbyshire - named after the company's director Charles Markham. By 1980 it was one of the largest British collieries, employing nearly 2000 miners and 400 surface workers. It closed in 1994.

More than 200 miners lost their lives in the colliery's 112 year history, but the worst loss of life came from three major disasters. In 1937, 1938 and 1973, 106 miners died, leaving a devastating impact on the community. Some households lost up to three family members at once.

To commemorate the miners who lost their lives, sculptor Stephen Broadbent designed a sculpture along a public walking trail from the site of the former pit (seen here in the foreground) to the village of Duckmanton (in the background).

The walking trail consists of 106 steel figures symbolising each miner's journey to work and back.  The figures walking towards the colliery are silver.  Those walking back are black, as if covered in coal dust.

Each figure has a circular bronze miner's tag fixed on his chest. The underside is stamped with the name of the miner, his age and occupation. The front shows the name and year of the disaster. Visitors can touch the tags to connect with the real people represented.

The Markham Vale Heritage Group of volunteers representing friends and relatives of miners, local historians, residents and schools, researched the men on the memorial and mining life. They won the award for best volunteer project at the 2019 Derbyshire Heritage Awards.

Over 2013-2021, the trail has gradually grown, funded by local businesses, public funders and community sponsors, and involving schools, relatives and friends of the miners. On average a cluster of figures has been installed and unveiled twice a year.