THE wheels are very much in motion to have key mining artefacts housed at Lochore Meadows Country Park.

A meeting was held last week at the Willie Clarke Centre to discuss how the artefacts could be saved for Fife mining's posterity, at the country park which was hewn from coal bings more than 45 years ago.

One of the people behind the project is Cowdenbeath man Robert Chalmers who said: "The meeting was attended by people from the Central Fife area along with Willie Clarke and the Park Manager Ian Laing, and the outcome of the meeting was we need to formulate a plan of action and to have the project costed.

The artefacts are currently at Leven in the yard belonging to Fife Heritage Railway. There are three artefacts that need to be moved to the Meedies these are a cage, an old type of coal cutter, and a mine car.

Robert added: "The cage is, to my knowledge, the last pit cage in Scotland and should be preserved for the nation along with the two other items.

"It was a very progressive meeting and costings is something I will be working on over the next few months and I hope so we can apply for any grants that are available to complete the project.

"Also discussed was the possibility of crowdfunding as means of raising monies but to also involve the people of Fife and Scotland to be part of a project that saves their heritage".

Robert has also contacted several MSPs and MPs and to date the response has been very good.

He went on: "I’ve also spoken with Historic Scotland who provided good advice and also with the Archaeology Department at Fife Council who are now aware of the former Frances Colliery cage.

"Over July and August most groups take a summer break and people are of course on holiday, but work will continue to make this happen."