I have visited here many times now, and i put a premature report up from the first night without exploring too much. So here is a round up of each explore with a sh*t tonne of photos thrown in for good measure.
Visit 1 - Night of closure;
Totally drunk off our success at Redcar Blast furnace the week before, myself and Raz decided to push our luck and go for our second high profile explore. So as the Hargreaves trucks i service at work pulled out of the gates for the last time, we made our way along the canal. Once we reached our agreed point of entry, we noted that things on the site were far from quiet. With trucks, diggers and dumpers still milling around clearly away the black stuff we crawled (litterally) all the way from the perimeter fence to the closest of the conveyors, and up to the top to scout it out. Quickly we realised this conveyor didnt go very far, and with that in mind we descended to the bottom ready for another labourious crawl. As luck was on our side we had a small window in which to leg it to the next conveyor. Excellect we thought, easy from here. NAHHHHH... the ladders to reach the conveyor were in direct sight of around 7 or 8 diggers moving coal away, and to make things just that little bit more difficult, when we spotted a small alley way in which we could run across the open space, a train rolled in and stopped blocking us completely. Now what? So we waited for around an hour, thinking that the guys in the diggers would go on their breaks sooner rather than later. Again, no. So when we decided it was make or break time, Raz inched closer to the ladders and went for it. 30 seconds later he was at the top.
My turn... with my heart in my mouth, i watched the dumper make its way towards me, and then after what seemed like an age, passed me. Scurrying over the heap of coal i was off, up the ladders and on reaching the top threw myself over the edge and into the relitive safety of the conveyor. I took a moment then to catch my breath and stop myself going into a cardiac arrest.
Along the conveyor we walked, passing over the diggers still working away, unaware of us. Through a very dark slippy conveyor and into the sorting plant above the train. Now we came across a conveyor belt which was moving, dragging up coal fresh from the seam that day. The last of the coal ever to be pulled from the seam in fact. I was mesmorised. So much so that neither myself or Raz heard the worker who walked down the belt towards us.
"What are you doing lads?"
"Just taking some photos, that okay?"
"I dont really give a f*ck"
Time for offskies, and im glad we did because a few minutes later alrms every where and a voice over the intercom telling workers to be on the look out for 2 lads with cameras.
A good start, but we'll be back.
Visit 2;
As is expected we were back within weeks, this time, with The Amatuer Wanderer. Having done the rest of the Redcar SSI sites in the meantime, we were now a lot more confident about high profile places, and by now we were itching to get back at it. So the same way in, but this time now diggers or workers, just a lot more water and mud to contend with. I can deal with that. So this time we managed everywhere other than the headstock, and what an explore it was. lights still on in the bath house and the coolest search yourself sign ever 
Visit 3;
This time with Raz, Butters and Jord (really taking the piss with 4 of us lmfao) we beelined straight for the headstock. No messing around, just up it and thats it. I think that out of all of the colliery this is by far the best part. With some futuristic looking headgear controls and several massive wheels it made my day.
So thats it. We've covered the vast majority of the site, so an end to our explores here really... but on a more serious note, it is the end of an era, especially for us Yorkshire folk who's families and friends have been closely linked to the pits for their whole lives. My Father worked down Sharlston pit, My Uncle down Hatfield in its day and one by one they were sealed up and shut down. When it was Big K's time, there were high emotions in the surrounding towns, and a march was organised in nearby Knottingley to give her a send off she deserved. I felt like we had to give her a send of of our own, by documenting the last days of our iconic history.
Kellingley Colliery (Big K) 1965 - 1984 / 1984 - 2015
Thanks for looking
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