An gallery dedicated to showcasing the artwork of miners has unveiled its latest exhibition depicting life inside a nearly 5,000-foot-deep North Yorkshire mine.

Life inside the Boulby Potash Mine from 1980 to 1982 has been immortalised by East Cleveland-based artist Len Tabner at the Mining Art Gallery in Bishop Auckland.

Displayed as part of The Auckland Project, Len's work will be available to view until spring 2024 and features everything from photos taken inside the shaft to illustrations of everything from the men at work to the machinery.

The Northern Echo: Assistant Curator Anne Sutherland and gallery co-founder Dr Robert McManners OBE at the exhibition.Assistant Curator Anne Sutherland and gallery co-founder Dr Robert McManners OBE at the exhibition. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

Over a 12-month period, Len worked with staff members at the gallery including assistant curator Anne Sutherland and co-founders of the gallery Dr Robert McManners OBE and Gillian Wales to put the final exhibition together.

For curator Anne, maintaining the history and ongoing legacy of mining in North Yorkshire and the North East is an important task.

She said: "It is brilliant to see it all put together in the gallery. We have already had email enquiries from people who are interested in coming to see Len's work.

The Northern Echo: Work of Len Tabner at the Mining Art Gallery, Bishop Auckland.Work of Len Tabner at the Mining Art Gallery, Bishop Auckland. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

The Northern Echo: Len Tabner, Shaft bottom, 1983, charcoal and Conté pastel on rag based paper. © Len Tabner.Len Tabner, Shaft bottom, 1983, charcoal and Conté pastel on rag based paper. © Len Tabner. (Image: LEN TABNER)

"It is interesting to have the gallery showing mining art whilst it is still very much alive - Boulby Potash mine is still open to this day.

"But, in terms of the heritage of the area, we see people who visit who have a real connection to mining in the region. They have relatives who worked in these pits."

Featured pieces in Len's exhibition include Shaft Bottom and Rock Shaft, depicting the bottom of the mine in both dark and light. 

The Northern Echo: Len Tabner, Rock shaft - pit bottom, 1983, charcoal and Conté pastel on rag based paper. © LenLen Tabner, Rock shaft - pit bottom, 1983, charcoal and Conté pastel on rag based paper. © Len (Image: LEN TABNER)

Co-founder of the gallery, Dr Robert McManners OBE, spoke of the stories mining art tells not just in the North East but across the world.

He said: "Preserving the history of mining in the region is so important. We cannot forget what made the North East wealthy.

"We have an interest in this because there is art in every type of mining, not just coal mining. You can find it in gold mining in Egypt, silver mining in Bolivia, and salt mining in Poland.

The Northern Echo: Assistant Curator Anne Sutherland and gallery co-founder Dr Robert McManners OBE at the exhibition.Assistant Curator Anne Sutherland and gallery co-founder Dr Robert McManners OBE at the exhibition. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

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"These people are here and they need to tell their stories."

Other artists currently displayed at the gallery include Norman Cornish and Tom McGuinness, with the artwork changing several times a year.

The Len Tabner exhibition is open to the public from today (Saturday, October 28).

To find out more about The Auckland Project and the Mining Gallery, click here.