Nuneaton & Bedworth Coal, Stone, Clay and Iron

The Warwickshire twin towns of Nuneaton and Bedworth have merged to become a single unitary borough. But fifty years ago, they were two separate communities, each with their own character, culture and rich industrial heritage. For centuries they have shared a common resource - the mineral wealth that lay below the ground. Coal, stone, clay and iron were long ago found in abundance in a great sweep from the outskirts of Coventry through North Warwickshire to the Staffordshire border. This would bring great change and propserity to a working-class area. Today, most of this business is gone. Where there was once full employment, now almost 50 per cent of the local working population are employed outside the borough. The times have changed. But here, preserved for posterity, is a wealth of information about the labour-intensive industries that shaped the landscape. The area's collieries, brickyards, quarries and factories are listed and described, while their connections via road, rail and canal are also explored. Thus, the many and varied companies that processed the abundant raw materials and created the finished products are given more attention than they have hitherto received. And a selection of rare illustrations serves to illuminate the often dark, dirty and difficult work that was carried out. In light of this labour, the people of Nuneaton and Bedworth can be proud of their productive past.