麻豆社

Alan Dein meets the "free miners" of the Forest of Dean, still digging coal in their seventies. They're a dying breed, but one woman's attempt to join the club has stirred up strong feelings.

Once a major industry, coal mining in this corner of Gloucestershire is down to a handful of diehard individualists, who relish the freedom that comes from owning your own coal mine in the woods, and being answerable to no one.

"Free miners" have ancient birthrights that date back to Edward II - rights that have persisted through coal nationalisation, privatisation, and closure of almost the entire coal mining industry.

One man, Robin Morgan, is still digging coal at the age of 78. Robin tried to turn one of his mines into a tourist attraction, but got few visitors, lost a lot of money, and has now returned to doing what he loves best: hewing coal from narrow seams in much the same way as his ancestors did.

But tradition says that only men can be free miners. When Elaine Morman tried to become one, the miners still active were almost unanimously opposed. Mining is no job for a woman, they say, and in any case, Elaine is not a true miner, since she works in caves that are a tourist attraction, where she does not dig coal, but scrapes small quantities of ochre for artists' pigments from the walls. Thanks to equality legislation, Elaine has succeeded in having her name entered on the free miners' roll, but is shunned by the male free miners.

So on the one hand, we have Robin, with his failed tourist mine and his deep attachment to tradition. On the other Elaine, with her successful tourist caves, and her determination to apply 21st century values to ancient customs. Who is the true free miner?

Producer: Jolyon Jenkins.