Mining for Memories
We want to hear your memories and stories about working in Winsford’s salt industry.
Be part of the history of Winsford
Salt mining has played a huge role in Winsford’s history, and the industry has seen a lot of changes since the Winsford Salt Rock Mine opened in 1844. In the 1800s, workers were lowered into the mine in wooden buckets and did their work by candlelight. The salt was used to improve brine and make cattle licks.
The booming trade saw workers move to Winsford from across the country, swelling the town’s numbers, and transforming a rural area into an important industrial centre within a few years. Civic associations, technical education, friendly societies, and co-operatives flourished.
Today, the salt industry uses advanced technology to produce rock salt for gritting roads, and the mine itself is partially used as a storage space for important documents and paintings. The mine now spreads out over 5km east to west, and 3km north to south. Hand-picks and shovels have been replaced by custom-built machinery which has to be constructed within the mine itself. The mine has changed hands, changed methods, and changed purposes.
We want to talk to people who have experienced some of these changes and have a story to tell. If you have ever worked in the rock pit, or processed, packed, or transported the salt, then we’re keen to hear from you.
We already have a fantastic collection showing the significance salt mining has had in this area of Cheshire. We want to build on this collection and show how people have experienced the changes over the years. We’re asking local people to share their memories, their stories and their responses to the history of the salt mining and its impact on their lives.
Exhibition:
Join us at two pop-up displays of our collections showing the history of salt mining in the area. All are welcome on the dates below and no booking is needed.
28 September 2024, 11am-1pm - Winsford Library
5 October, 11am-1pm - Wharton Library
Get involved:
If you worked or still work down the rock pit, or in the local salt trade, we want to hear from you. You can share your memories or current experiences with our team at a series of recorded group interviews during the pop-ups.
These are group conversations in which we will record audio with 4-5 participants at a time for 30-40 minutes.
A group of artists will work with the recordings to make an animated video and a lino print which will be displayed in Winsford and across Cheshire, bringing the history of the salt mines and the people who worked them to communities across the region.
You can book a place for one of the interviews in either Winsford or Wharton Library at the following links:
Or alternatively you can book by calling us on 01244 972574, or by emailing us at: recordoffice@cheshiresharedservices.gov.uk.
Slots are available from 11am to 11.40am, 11.40am to 12.20pm, and 12.20pm to 1pm.
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Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and UKSPF Funding from Cheshire West and Chester Council.
