aerial photograph of Gascoigne Wood Mine, Selby Coalfield, Sherburn in Elmet airfield Yorkshire England UK taken in 2005. The Selby Coalfield was a superpit with a huge deep underground mine complex whcih all fed to the surface infrastructure at Gascoigne Wood Mine in the photograph. Much of the coal was used to feed, the Aire valley power stations at Drax, Eggborough and Ferrybridge which between then provided 1/5th of Englands electricity. The project began in 1976 and employed4,000 people but by the 21st century it was unprofitable and the mine closed in 2004.