List of coal mines in the United Kingdom
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This is a list of coal mines in the United Kingdom, sorted between those operating in the 21st century and those closed earlier.
The last operating deep coal mine in the United Kingdom, Kellingley colliery in North Yorkshire, closed in December 2015.[1] After 2015, most continuing coal mines were collieries owned by freeminers, or open pit mines of which there were 26 in 2014.[2] However, since December 2023 -with the closure of Ffos-y-fran- no major opencast coal mine operates. The largest mine is Aberpergwm, which is a drift mine. For example, in January 2024 the production of all opencast mines were around 1,000 tonnes while Aberpergwm (and other underground mines) produced around 7,000 tonnes.[3]
21st century[edit]
These coal mines closed in the 21st century or still operate.
 |
| Mine | Owner | Region | Production (tonnes)[a] | Manpower[a] | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley Surface Mine | Banks Group | County Durham | ? | <30 (2018) | Closed August 2020[4] |
| Clipstone Colliery | RJB Mining | Nottinghamshire | ? | 1,300 (?) | Closed 2003[5] |
| Daw Mill | UK Coal | West Midlands | 3.25 million (2008) | 683 (2008)[6] | Closed 7 March 2013[7] |
| Hatfield Colliery | Hatfield Colliery Ltd | Yorkshire | 704,740 (2011) | 400 (2011) | Closed July 2015[8] |
| Hill Top Colliery | Grimebridge Colliery Company Ltd | Lancashire | ? | 3 (2011) | Closed, 2014[9] |
| Kellingley Colliery | UK Coal Operations Ltd | Yorkshire | 2,276,434 (2011) | 695 (2011) | Closed 18 December 2015 |
| Maltby Main Colliery | UK Coal | Yorkshire | ? | <400 | Closed April 2013 |
| Thoresby Colliery | UK Coal Operations Ltd | Nottinghamshire | 1,283,346 (2011) | 613 (2011) | Closed July 2015 |
| Hartington | ? | Derbyshire | 87,000 | ? | Closed September, 2020[10] |
| Danygraig 4 drift mine | Three D's Mining Limited | Wales | ? | ? | Closed March 2021 |
| Ffos-y-fran Land Reclamation Scheme | Merthyr Tydfil | South Wales | 1,000,000 (at peak) | ? | Closed November 2023[11] |
| Aberpergwm drift mine | Energybuild Ltd | Wales | <100,000 | 160 (2021) | Operating |
| Ayle Colliery (Quarry Drift) | Ayle Colliery Company Ltd | Cumbria | 1,000 | ? | Operating in Feb 2020 |
| Hopewell Colliery | Rich Daniels[12] (Freeminer) | Forest of Dean | ? | ~1 (2018) | Operating[13] |
| Wallsend Colliery & Morse's Level | Mike Howells[14] (Freeminer) | Forest of Dean | ? | ? | Operating |
| Monument Colliery | Ray Ashly, Richard Daniels & Neil Young[15] (Freeminers) | Forest of Dean | 250 (2011) | 3 (2011) | Only freemine in Forest of Dean operating as of 2002[16] |
a For the year given.
Earlier[edit]
These coal mines closed before the 21st century.
|
| Mine | Traditional county | Opened | Closed | Peak manpower[a] | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North East England | ||||||
| Boldon Colliery | County Durham | 1866 | 1982 | (?) | ||
| Castle Eden colliery[17] | County Durham | 1842 | 1959 | 891 (1880s) | ||
| Dawdon Colliery[18] | County Durham | 5 October 1907 | 25 July 1991 | 3,798 (1930) | ||
| Newbottle Colliery[19] | County Durham | 1774 | 1956 | 1,199 (1921) | ||
| Shincliffe colliery[20] | County Durham | 1839 | 1875 | (?) | ||
| East Midlands and Yorkshire | ||||||
| Asfordby Colliery | Leicestershire | 1991 | 1997 | 490 | Last deep coal mine to be sunk in England. | |
| Babbington Colliery | Nottinghamshire | 1841 | 1986 | |||
| Bagworth Colliery | Leicestershire | 1832 | 1991 | |||
| Hucknall No.1 Colliery | Nottinghamshire | 1861 | 1943 | |||
| Hucknall No.2 Colliery | Nottinghamshire | 1865 | 1986 | |||
| Ollerton Colliery | Nottinghamshire | 1920s | 1994 | |||
| Silverwood Colliery | Yorkshire | 1900 | 1994 | |||
| North West and North Staffordshire | ||||||
| Ellerbeck Colliery | Lancashire | 1876 | 1965 | (?) | ||
| Golborne Colliery[21] | Lancashire | 1860s | 1989 | (?) | Site of explosion (1979) in which 10 workers died. | |
| Silverdale Colliery | Staffordshire | (?) | 1998 | (?) | Last active coal mine in Staffordshire. | |
| South East England | ||||||
| Snowdown Colliery[22] | Kent | 1907 | 1987 | |||
| Betteshanger Colliery | Kent | 1927 | 1989 | |||
| Tilmanstone Colliery | Kent | 1906 | 1986 | |||
| Chislet Colliery | Kent | 1914 | 1969 | |||
Wwa With given year of peak.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Thousands join march to mark closure of UK's last deep coal mine". The Guardian. 19 December 2015.
- ^ "Surface Coal Mining Statistics". www.bgs.ac.uk. 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
- ^ "Energy Trends". www.gov.uk. 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ "Bradley mine: Coal extracted for final time at County Durham site". BBC News. 17 August 2020.
- ^ "Clipstone Colliery". Northern Mine Research Society. 11 December 2023.
- ^ "Colliery on track for record output shows King Coal is striving to regain crown". The Guardian. 8 December 2008.
- ^ "HS2 could mean closure of Daw Mill". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
- ^ "Employee trust acquires Hatfield Colliery". Insider News Yorkshire. Archived from the original on 10 April 2014.
- ^ Mr H's Hot Pot: End of an era at Hilltop Colliery, Lancashire's last coal mine. 2. October 2018.
- ^ [1] 9. January 2021.
- ^ [2] 15 August 2023
- ^ "Hopewell Colliery Museum". Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Tourism Association.
- ^ "Hopewell Colliery Centre for Freemining". Hopewell Colliery Museum and Working Mine.
- ^ "Freemining in the Forest of Dean 2018". Welsh Coal Mines Forum. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- ^ "Monument Free Mine". Forest of Dean Local History Society.
- ^ "Monument Free Mine".
- ^ "Castle Eden Colliery". Durham Mining Museum. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ "Dawdon Colliery". Durham Mining Museum.
- ^ "Newbottle Colliery". Durham Mining Museum.
- ^ "Shincliffe Colliery". Durham Mining Museum.
- ^ "Golborne Colliery". Northern Mines Research Society. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ "Snowdown Colliery". Dover Museum.
External links[edit]
- List of Northern English Coal Mines at the Durham Mining Museum.