Welcome to our diary pages where you will find all you need to know about the dates of mill openings, family heritage events, archives evenings, walks, talks or volunteer sessions.
If you need any further details please contact Katrina our Trust Chair and Events Coordinator via our Contact Page to find out more.
Current Coronavirus Situation - July 2020
The situation can always change but our present status is:
Walking Visitors – Our public footpaths and bridleway are permanently open. The permissive paths down the Incline, around the Califat Spinney, Gorse Field and Snibston No 3 are open 6am to midnight. Please stay safe and apply social distancing as well as treating all gates, signs, benches etc as potentially coronavirus contaminated by a recent visitor, so hand washing or sanitising is important.
Hough Mill – A really difficult decision but the Mill will not open during the 2020 season due to Coronavirus (COVID-19). We take our responsibilities towards our small team of mill volunteers and our visitors very seriously and feel at the moment opening the Mill is not appropriate. We will review our Christmas at the Mill event nearer the time.
Archive Group – Scanning, cataloguing and indexing historical documents and photographs, instead of fortnightly at The Village Hall the team is operating from home as a virtual team
Land Management – Maintaining 14 acres of woodland and acid grass heathland that were formerly coal mining and railway sites. This includes the Gorse Field and Califat Spinney, some sessions are at the Swannington Incline – activities resumed in late May and risk assessed Coronavirus (COVID-19) protocols apply.
Excavation of the Califat Coal Mine buildings and miners’ cottages – led by our partners Leicestershire Industrial History Society – resumed in June and risk assessed Coronavirus (COVID-19) protocols apply.
2020 Events
Just a few of our forthcoming events, although the coronavirus situation may result in their cancellation. Please check nearer the time, thank you.
Tuesday 11th August – Swannington Incline railway tour – Shepshed Historical Society
Tuesday 15th September – A Coal Mining Dynasty – Talk to Markfield Historical Society
Thursday 15th October – Trouble and Strife, the challenges in getting a wife – Talk to Leicestershire and Rutland Family History Society, Market Harborough Branch.
Tuesday 20th October – Industrial Development of Swannington – Talk to Leicestershire and Rutland Family History Society, Loughborough Group.
2021 Events
Heritage groups often plan their programme a long way ahead, so here are our 2021 bookings:
Talk to Great Glen U3A, subject to be selected, 10.30am – Tuesday 12th January 2021
A Coal Mining Dynasty – Talk to Shepshed Historical Society, 7.30pm – Tuesday 12th January 2021
Leicestershire Industrialists, their non industrial legacy – Talk to Anstey Local History Society 7pm – Wednesday 17th February 2021
Walk Around Swannington Walk – Sunday 16th May 2021 – National Forest Walking Festival – 4.5 miles and 15 stiles Walk Around Swannington map
Two Historic Railways Walk – Sunday 23rd May 2021 – National Forest Walking Festival – 3.6 miles and 23 stiles Two Historic Railways map William Jessop’s 1794 tramway is marked blue and the 1833 Coleorton Railway is marked green
