Lochore Meadows: Save the Cage mining for memories

And a heritage experience is set to be created next to the former Mary Colliery pit head with those behind the proposals keen to ensure memories of the area's old coal past are not lost.

Iain Chalmers, who is chair of the Save the Cage group, first came up with the idea when trying to salvage a miner’s cage from a yard in Leven several years ago.

He then developed plans to display items currently in storage at the National Mining Museum in Newtongrange.

READ MORE: Mining book to help Save the Cage campaign

Providing an update this week, he said: "I am happy to announce on behalf of Save the Cage that the National Mining Museum of Scotland have agreed to release the necessary equipment that will follow a miners journey from the pithead to the coal face and will include a cage, man riding bogies, roof supports along with coal cutting machinery.

"We hope to make the display one people can interact with and if anybody wants to get down on their hands and knees to crawl onto the section of the coal face, please do.

"The group has worked closely with Lochore Meadows Country Park staff who fully support the project and say having the mining heritage will be another good attraction to the park.

"The curator of the NMMS, Nicola Moss, who Save the Cage have liaised with, is also pleased that the project is going ahead as it promotes the National Mining Museum of Scotland.

"Nicola was instrumental in securing the artefacts we requested and she is looking forward to visiting the display next summer when we hope to have the project complete."

Efforts to secure the £45,000 required to fulfil the plans are well underway and it is hoped that the project will be completed by the summer to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the 1984/1985 Miners' Strike.