| Administrative History | In 1952 it was decided that a training centre should be provided for new miners of the National Coal Board and the site of Grassmoor was chosen for it, as the colliery had recently closed but the canteen and pithead baths were still in good enough condition to be reused. It was decided to centralise the area’s training from here, and so the small training facilities at Williamthorpe and Markham were both closed down by 1955. Due to this decision, it was also decided that the centre should train experienced miners in the newer technologies being used in the industry. When the site officially opened in 1957, it had cost £77,000 to build. On average it was to train around 400 men every 16 weeks. |