Town Moor, opencast coal mine

Twentieth century opencast coal mine, which operated during the Second World War. Shallow coal over an area of 345,600m square was removed. A group of temporary buildings were constructed. The site has been re-instated with top soil and is identifiable as a flat area with diagonal drainage. In places around the mine's perimeter, a scarp up to 1m high remains. During reinstatement the low summit of Race Hill to the south was graded, revealing the soilmark of a possible prehistoric settlement (HER 5894). The mining destroyed an anti-aircraft battery, leaving only part of a radar station visible on 1946 air photographs (11706). At the same time an area west of Grandstand Road was open cast.