Testing for Gas sculpture at Silverhill Wood

Standing at the highest point in Nottinghamshire, the Testing for Gas sculpture is a powerful reminder of the area's mining heritage and offers spectacular views across the surrounding countryside.

The bronze statue, created by artist Antony Dufort, shows a miner carrying out the traditional safety check known as "testing for gas" before work began underground. Known locally as The Miner, or Dave, the sculpture was installed as a memorial to the generations of people who worked in the county's coal industry.

Set on the summit of Silverhill Wood, the sculpture marks a remarkable landscape transformation. Once home to two collieries, the site has been restored into a thriving young woodland through engineering, landscaping and tree planting.

Take a moment to read the information on the memorial's base, where you'll find the names of Nottinghamshire's major collieries that operated from 1819 until the early 2000s.