Chatterley Whitfield: Walker fan house and drift (27)

Former colliery fan house (27) and drift of circa 1958.

MATERIALS: the fan house has a brick base and is steel framed with profiled metal cladding; its roof is also clad in metal sheeting. The ventilation shaft has a fabricated steel casing, and the fan drift is covered in mass concrete slabs.

PLAN: rectangular on plan comprising three attached structures: the fan house containing the fan motors and other equipment, the ventilation shaft or evaseé, and a fan drift to the south.

EXTERIOR: north side of fan house has a large entrance with continuous glazing of fifteen lights above. The windows in the west elevation are metal framed, and an exhaust pipe comes out of the east side of the building. To the rear (south) side is the evaseé which has welded steel ribs and plates which form a four-sided tower that flares outwards above mid-height. The concrete-covered drift beyond (south) has a projecting, flat-roofed entrance with steel doors (boarded over) to the west elevation, which is accessed by concrete steps with railings to three sides and a large steel door on its east side.

INTERIOR: not inspected (2013), but understood to retain an electrically-powered fan, DC generator, fan motor on a concrete plinth, gear box and pumps. Much of the floor within the fan house is finished with red quarry tiles. A staircase within the drift leads down to tunnels.