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Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by Steve1015, Jan 12, 2015.

  1. Steve1015

    Steve1015 Member

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    BBC RADIO 4 DOCUMENTARY TO FEATURE UNIQUE & ACCLAIMED AWARD-WINNING PURBECK BALL CLAY MINING MUSEUM

    Ball clay mining's fascinating 2,000 year history is to feature in BBC Radio 4's popular rural magazine programme 'Open Country' this week – following a visit to the volunteers behind the unique award-winning Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum near Corfe Castle.

    Featuring the people that shaped the landscape of Britain, the 25-minute 'Open Country' episode is broadcast nationwide on Thursday, 15 January, 2015, at 3pm before being repeated at 6.07am on Saturday, 17 January, 2015.

    Presenter Helen Mark visited the Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum – built from nothing since 2002 and located next to the Swanage Railway's Norden station – during December, 2014, to interview the chairman of the Museum's volunteer group Peter Sills as well as respected Purbeck ball clay mining historian Chris Legg.

    The Museum has taken a small and very dedicated team of volunteers some 12 years and 40,000 hours to plan and build from scratch on the site of old ball clay works demolished during the 1970s.

    Last year, the Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum won the Heritage Railway Association's prestigious 2014 Interpretation Award for quality with the judges praising it for being "unique", "a valuable education resource", "a quality visitor attraction" and "of enormous education value and national interest."

    Explaining the history and technology behind ball clay mining dating back some 2,000 years, the Museum features a realistic reconstruction of an underground mine tunnel, a rebuilt ball clay trans-shipment building, a 300 metre section of narrow gauge railway as well as an engine shed with viewing area.

    Chairman of the Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum's volunteer group, Peter Sills, said: "Everyone who has worked so hard to create and staff the Museum was thrilled and delighted that the 'Open Country' production team visited us as part of their exploration of this fascinating aspect of Purbeck history.

    "Back in 2003, our volunteers meticulously took apart a ball clay trans-shipment mine building near Norden Farm – donated by clay mine company Imerys Minerals Ltd – and reassembled it a quarter of a mile away at the Museum site.

    "Part of the Swanage Railway Trust and its educational remit, the Museum has been achieved thanks to a £100,000 European Union grant from 'Chalk and Cheese' initiative, as well as £40,000 donated by generous members of the Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum," explained Mr Sills.

    Retired Dorset pharmacist Chris Legg spent more than 50 years researching the history of Purbeck's ball clay mining industry and last year published his landmark hardback book and labour of love 'Fayle's Tramways – Clay Mining in Purbeck'.

    The edition of 'Open Country' will be available on BBC i-player shortly after its first broadcast and will also be accessible via the programme's informative web page at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/opencountry.

    Currently closed for the winter, the Museum reopens on Saturday, 21 March, 2015, and will be open between 11am and 5pm (last entry is 4.30pm) on Saturdays and Sundays until the end of May when it also opens on Tuesday and Wednesdays until October when it reverts to weekends only until 2 November, 2015, when it closes.

    While admission is free, donations are welcome to help fund continuing artefact preservation and Museum development. Just go on-line and visit 'www.pmmmg.org' or call 01929 481461.
     
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  2. biggles200

    biggles200 Member

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    Last edited: Oct 31, 2019
  3. biggles200

    biggles200 Member

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    How come the mining museum is desperate for a controlled atmosphere building in which to house delicate artifacts and all of a sudden it is rumoured that it has just given £5000 to the Swanage Railway. It smacks of rob Peter to Pay Paul - Probably by Chairman Peter who has a foot in both camps. Beware if you donate to the museum - it may not go to the museum.
     
  4. DcB

    DcB Well-Known Member

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  5. biggles200

    biggles200 Member

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    Yes it is part of Swanage Railway Trust. It is not part of the Company. Swanage Railway Trust ask the Company to run the railway.
     
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  6. biggles200

    biggles200 Member

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    In the 60's the loco's operating on the clay narrow railway at Norden included this Loco - a Ruston which in the old days was always driven by Eli Kitcatt of the "Secret Seven". Here it can be seen operating along part of the old trackbed at Norden in March 2020
     
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  7. biggles200

    biggles200 Member

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    While all is quiet, why not remember how the museum came about, and watch the volunteers at work.
     
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  8. 007

    007 Member

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    The mining museum is part of the Swanage Railway Trust, it is NOT a separate organisation. It is a vitally important functional group within the Trust. Its donations are processed by the SRT and its overall direction is controlled democratically through the Trust. It is therefore right for it to contribute some of its unallocated funds to the SOS appeal. Without the railway, there will be no museum.

    So no, it's not robbing Peter to pay Paul. Its a sensible decision that reflects the one railway aim of the whole Swanage Railway. In time, I'm sure the SRT will show its appreciation for the kind contribution that the Mining Museum has made to overall survival of the railway. It is to be gratefully applauded.

    Peter Sills is the Chair of the Mining museum group and an SRT Trustee. I don't see the issue with that, both are SRT overall.
     
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  9. biggles200

    biggles200 Member

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    "Without the railway there will be no Museum"
    Is that a threat? It is time to remember that the Museum gave the railway the land to build the "Pad". Without the Pad the latest railway's development and road/rail interchanges would have been much more difficult and costly.
    I can remember the time when people buying tickets at Swanage used to say "What is there at Norden?" The museum is an attraction that the Railway benefits from. The Museum has spent very little on maintenance since it opened 7 years ago and it is now showing! The Museum's plan has always to have a building that would house Secundus and the 2 wagons it used to pull. The building would also house books, documents and displays of the Ball Clay industry. A cost of £300,000 was mentioned once. It would also house offices and lecture rooms for education purposes including school visits. Then there is the development of the two flooded clay pits - I could go on, but the point is the museum desperately needs funds, so watching those funds decreasing is very agonising. The railway may not need the museum but it benefits from it.
     
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2020
  10. 007

    007 Member

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    No it's not a threat, it's a fact. The Museum is part of the SRT, it is not a separate organisation. If the railway fails, we all fail. The land is owned by SRT. The museum is a functional group within the SRT. That is a statement of fact and one that should be celebrated! The mining museum stands with the railway at this time, together.

    I understand how much effort goes into fundraising and how sad it must seem to have some of that money donated away to the greater good, but I'm certain the Museum has benefited out of its relationship with the railway. All its insurance, gift aid potential, museum management and so on is all borne out of its relationship with the SRT. As much as it may look like a separate organisation, it isn't. It is a functional group within the SRT.

    I would argue that going forward the railway DOES need the mueusem. To be a well rounded attraction, we cannot simply rely on our train service. We have to provide additional attractions. The mining museum makes Norden a destination. Its contribution is important, perhaps more so than ever.

    Celebrate the donation to the SRT as a solidarity effort with the wider railway. We will only get through this if we all pull together. Thank you too all at the mining museum and I'm certain the SRT will repay the favour to this functional group when it is able to.
     
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  11. mdewell

    mdewell Well-Known Member Friend

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    As a complete outsider, who has only visited the Mining Museum once (in Oct 2018) I would thoroughly recommend including a visit to anyone in the area. It's not much to look at from outside (although that may have changed since 2018) but it's a bit like the TARDIS, much bigger inside than you'd expect (and hence more to see).
    I look forward to a chance to see the NG railway operating in the future.

    As mentioned above (and in other threads such as certain Somerset locations) the more additional attractions around a railway the more attractive it becomes to visitors. The longer you keep visitors on site the more they will spend with you. ;)
     
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  12. 007

    007 Member

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    Indeed! The mining museum is quite incredible.
     
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  13. flying scotsman123

    flying scotsman123 Resident of Nat Pres

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    Perhaps people need to think of it in terms of another department on the railway - like C+W or P'way etc. No doubt they have had the budgets obliterated by this crisis too and any imminent plans involving spending money put on hold.
     
  14. biggles200

    biggles200 Member

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    Except departments on the railway do not receive donations directly from the public. They are given to the museum for running costs and future development. The railway does do financial work on behalf of the museum, but otherwise all costs come from donations so it cannot be treated like "like C+W or P'way".
     
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  15. 35B

    35B Nat Pres stalwart

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    Without comment on whether this is or isn't a good thing to do, I suggest a little care is needed about precisely how the parts of the overall SRT relate to each other. If the mining museum funds are "restricted", then transferring them into the general pot is not to be done lightly, needs a proper audit trail, and may raise issues with donors who have given money for the specific purpose, not the wider organisation. In just the same way, at the church I'm on the PCC of, legacies given to the Fabric Fund or other restricted funds cannot be used for other purposes but have to be used for the purposes of that fund.
     
  16. biggles200

    biggles200 Member

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    Care is certainly needed The Govenment has set out rules and these can be found here https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/sites/default/files/fr-code/Code Fundraising Practice October 2019.PDF and section 2.7. "Using funds"
    This PDF is referenced in the GOV.UK webpage https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/charities-and-fundraising-cc20/charities-and-fundraising
    under paragraph 3. I would also be careful with the funds raised by the Corfe Station Museum.
     
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2020
  17. 007

    007 Member

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    There are indeed restricted elements of the funds of the SRT. 563 is one of them. Im certain that elements of the Mining museums funds are also restricted funds that can't be spent elsewhere. The SRT is well aware of its commitments with regards to restricted funds and their relation to charity law.

    Other departments on the railway do actually receive donations directly from the public, the Heritage Coach group for example is under the overall umbrella of C&W and receives donations via the SRT.
    The Mining Museum is also eligible to apply for SRT funds which it has done on numerous occasions and has been supported. It's time to stop thinking of it as separate. We are a united organisation and the group up at Norden do a fantastic job. The fact that they have supported the railway now is to be applauded, their investment in the railway at this time will be beneficial to them in the longer term.
     
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  18. biggles200

    biggles200 Member

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    I think you will find most of the volunteers have moved on as they have seen this coming. So there is nothing to stop what you propose. Are you really sure those funds that the did get to the museum, as it certainly now it needs investment if it is going to survive. The maintenance of the tunnel being one. The drainage is very poor causing wood to rot and will need replacing - not an easy project. Remember this, not only does the railway need money, it needs volunteers! The SOS needs something like £360000 to approach the situation where the railway can continue.

    I am a pensioner whose lucky situation in this lockdown has a constant pension. I have noticed that my outgoings have dropped for two reasons - I am not using the car and I am not eating out. I have therefore made a second donation and depending on how long this goes on will be considering making further donations. Perhaps one or two of you maybe in a similar situation.
     
    Last edited: May 1, 2020
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  19. Strail

    Strail New Member

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    Mr. Biggles your memory is not what you think it is
     
  20. biggles200

    biggles200 Member

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    WHY? explain why you think so.
     

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