Barony Colliery will feature as part of a project looking at the nationalisation of the British coal industry.

Seven years in the making, the project 'On Behalf of the People: Work, Community and Class in the British Coal Industry, 1947-1994' will tell the history of the nationalised British coal industry and its communities from the perspective of eight collieries and surrounding communities- including Barony.

Barony Colliery was closed in 1989, with the accompanying buildings being torn down thereafter.

All that remains in place is the Barony A Frame, serving as a reminder of the history of the location.

Cumnock Chronicle: A Cumnock Chronicle report from 1962.A Cumnock Chronicle report from 1962. (Image: NQ Archive)

The project was spearheaded by Professors Andrew Perchard and Keith Gildart, who have their own unique insight into the topic.

Before becoming an academic, Professor Gildart worked underground as a miner in the North Wales coalfield at Point of Ayr Colliery starting just after the end of the 1984/85 strike.

Professor Perchard was previously head of energy supply policy at the Scottish Government.

The project will launch at Auchinleck Indoor Bowling Club on Saturday, March 23, from 2-4pm.

Anyone is welcome to go along and look at the exhibition. Emailing to confirm tour attendance to andrew.perchard@otago.ac.nz is preferable.

READ MORE: Emotional memories shared of miners' strike in East Ayrshire - 40 years on

Speaking about the project, Professor Perchard said: "This is very much for the community.

"We do touch on the aftermath of closures but that is also part of our plans for a follow up project - to go back to the same communities surrounding the eight collieries spread across the British coalfields - whereas the main focus on this was to tell the story of nationalisation from the coalfields.

We started the project in 2017 after the Arts and Humanities Research Council awarded us funding to undertake the work based on our earlier work in this area. 

"We also had the support of two research assistants, Dr Ben Curtis and Dr Grace Millar. 

"Above all, our intention with this project was for it to be a shared undertaking with and respectful of coalfield communities' histories."