Former coal colliery at Billy-Berclau whose trellised-lattice headframe and extraction building, now a private residence, are listed as a monument historique and UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Fosse n° 5 des mines de Meurchin is a former coal colliery of the Compagnie des mines de Meurchin, subsequently of the Compagnie des mines de Lens, in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais coalfield, situated at Billy-Berclau. Sinking of the puits n° 5 began on 5 August 1904 at the westernmost and northernmost point of the Meurchin concession; the shaft reached a depth of 398.50 metres. The fosse was destroyed during the First World War.
The Compagnie des mines de Meurchin was acquired by the Compagnie des mines de Lens in 1920, which rebuilt the fosse in its own architectural style, including a trellised-lattice headframe of type avant-carré porteur. Extraction ceased in 1937, but the fosse continued in service and ventilation use for the fosse n° 3 – 4 until 1963. The puits was backfilled in 1965.
After closure the installations were adapted between 1966 and 1992 for use as a shot-tower for the manufacture of lead shot. The site is subsequently in private ownership as a residence. The headframe and extraction building were inscribed as a monument historique on 8 November 2011 and listed as UNESCO World Heritage site n° 58 on 30 June 2012.
The site is private property and not accessible to the public.
The Compagnie des mines de Meurchin was created on 16 August 1854. After establishing several earlier fosses, the Compagnie decided in 1904 to open two new shafts at the extreme ends of its concession: the fosse n° 5 at Billy-Berclau, in the western and northern part, and the fosse n° 6 at Carvin, in the eastern part. The fonçage of the puits n° 5 began on 5 August 1904 at Billy-Berclau, 1,400 metres north-west of the fosse n° 3 – 4 and 1,560 metres north-north-east of the fosse n° 7 – 7 bis des mines de Lens.
The puits reached a depth of 398.50 metres. The fosse, in common with all Meurchin installations, was destroyed during the First World War. After the war, the Compagnie des mines de Meurchin was acquired by the Compagnie des mines de Lens in 1920.
The Compagnie des mines de Lens rebuilt the fosse in its own characteristic architectural style; the headframe erected in 1920 is of type avant-carré porteur, constructed from trellised-lattice girders. The buildings surrounding the headframe are described as typical of the architectural style used by the Compagnie des mines de Lens during the interwar period. Small workers' housing was built in the rue de la Fosse at Billy-Berclau, and two corons with six grouped-four dwellings were built to the west at Douvrin.
Extraction at the fosse n° 5 ceased in 1937, but the fosse continued to provide service and ventilation for the fosse n° 3 – 4 at Wingles. The Compagnie des mines de Lens was nationalised in 1946 and integrated into the Groupe de Lens. The fosse thereafter continued providing ventilation for the concentration of the fosse n° 18 – 18 bis de Lens.
All operational function ceased in 1963. The puits, 398.50 metres deep, was backfilled in 1965. Following closure, the surface installations were preserved and adapted: between 1966 and 1992 the buildings and headframe were modified to accommodate a lead-shot manufacturing enterprise, with the headframe repurposed as a shot-tower.
The site passed into private ownership and serves as a private residence. Charbonnages de France materialised the pit-head marker in the early twenty-first century; the BRGM conducts annual inspections. The headframe and extraction building, in their entirety, were inscribed as a monument historique on 8 November 2011.
On 30 June 2012, the fosse n° 5 was listed as part of the Bassin minier du Nord-Pas-de-Calais UNESCO World Heritage inscription, constituting site n° 58. The site is private property and not accessible to the public.
