THE Coal Authority is in the middle of excavating a large beam engine in the Forest of Dean that was made in Pontypool.

These pictures were captured by Mark Turner, a taxi driver in the Forest of Dean.

He said: “I take pictures of things that I see on my travels. It’s been interesting to see it being uncovered.”

The steam engine was based at the former New Fancy Colliery, Parkend, Forest of Dean.

John Delaney, of The Coal Authority, explained that they knew that the engine was there and the plan is to extract it from the shaft and place it on a plinth for people to come and see it. The New Fancy Coal Mine was opened by Edward Protheroe in 1827 and closed in August 1944.

Alistair Grieve, of Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway, said: “Quite often when mines were closed the equipment was just left behind if there was no further use for it as the cost involved in trying to remove them could not be justified.

“Who’s going to care about anything that’s left underground?”