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The capping over the winding shaft at Yate No 2 coal mine collapsed in March 2008, revealing a deep hole with water visible about 10 metres down. Although in private woodland, the hole is right on a path used regularly by local residents taking a walk. The depth of the shaft is recorded as 1000 to 1200 feet when abandoned in the 1880s. Contractors working for the Coal Authority have been on site since 8th January filling in the shaft. About 1400 tonnes of crushed limestone have been tipped into the hole and it is now full to the top (although calculation shows this is nowhere near enough for the full original shaft depth). Reinstatement of the ground level around the filled shaft is today's work. There are a series of photos taken by various members of the South Gloucestershire Mines Research Group (SGMRG) shown in the photo gallery of our website. http://gallery.sgmrg.co.uk/main.php?g2_itemId=2302 Some basic information about the work as it progresses is incorporated into the gallery. History associated with this pit is given on page 30 of the book "Kingswood Coal". I hope you find this interesting. Cheers Roger Gosling SGMRG Treasurer PS I still have some of our books "Kingswood Coal" available. Details on website http://www.sgmrg.co.uk/