Hasard De Cheratte: Belgium Sept 2012

A really stunning stucture with grand features and plenty of decay. It has stood well over the time it has been left unused.

This abandoned coal mine aka Cheratte 10 has been around since 1850. It only had a short life originally as it was closed in 1877 following an accidednt. It re-opened in 1907 and around 1930 it employed up to 500 people.

It was the first mine to have a headframe in Belgium this is the medieval looking brick structure.

Later anothe headframe was added. The tower of shaft 3 is made of reinforced concrete and is the tallest structure on the site. However for some reason the machinery at the top was insufficient and the machinery was built on the ground.

Production at Hasard Cherratte ceased in 1977 and has been abandoned ever since. The closure left over 600 people out of work.

Some of the buildings are classified as local heritage. There is a 2 million euro budget to clean up the site and unclassified parts of the site will be demolished. This could well be in process as you read this.