59410
Anzin
The spoil heaps of the Bleuse Borne mining area in Anzin
At 8.83 million tonnes, this pit was among the most productive of the Compagnie des Mines d’Anzin. It closed in 1935, and its mine head frame was dismantled in 1953. The sheer size of the Bleuse Borne spoil heap demonstrates the scale of the mine workings underground. Initially, following the closure of the pit the shale comprising the spoil heap was used for motorway earthworks. This was soon accompanied by natural settling. Since then, nature has encroached on the site, which has been listed as a ZNIEFF (a Zone Naturelle d’Intérêt Ecologique, Faunistique et Floristique or natural area of particular interest in terms of ecology or wildlife).
At 8.83 million tonnes, this pit was among the most productive of the Compagnie des Mines d’Anzin. It closed in 1935, and its mine head frame was dismantled in 1953. The sheer size of the Bleuse Borne spoil heap demonstrates the scale of the mine workings underground. Initially, following the closure of the pit the shale comprising the spoil heap was used for motorway earthworks. This was soon accompanied by natural settling. Since then, nature has encroached on the site, which has been listed as a ZNIEFF (a Zone Naturelle d’Intérêt Ecologique, Faunistique et Floristique or natural area of particular interest in terms of ecology or wildlife).
