Maesgwyn Road, Wrexham.
History
The Mines Rescue Station was built was post 1912 in response to the Coal Mines Act 1911. It was built near to the Great Western Railway Station in Wrexham. A motor driven vehicle was in constant readiness & a telephone connected from each mine to the station. It consisted of a 3 bedroomed house which provided living quarters for the Superintendant, an aviary for canaries, equipment stores, showers, training gallery &humidity chamber.
In the humidity chamber & training gallery, conditions could be replicated to equal most conditions that may be encountered underground. After the Gresford Disaster of September 1934, there were 30 men selected from the local area, who were specially trained at the Rescue Station to re-open the pit, something that had never before been done when a pit had been capped after a major explosion. Three Rescue Teams were trained at Wrexham to man the Dinorwic Site when the Hydro Electricity plant was being built.
When the local coal mines were closed the Rescue Station was purchased by North Wales Fire & Rescue Service for use as a headquarters & training unit. This station is unique to North Wales & should be kept as a monument to the memory of all those brave men who volunteered to train there.
“Ber No3” = Bersham Colliery No.3 Rescue Team. Other marks show “POA” (Point of Ayr) and GRE (Gresford)
UPDATE: 2019 The Mines Rescue Centre is currently undergoing repair and restoration.
Mine Rescue members share their memories of working at the Mines Rescue Station
