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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

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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 340,000 <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 Jones[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

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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

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References

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  1. ^ "Thousands join march to mark closure of UK's last deep coal mine". The Guardian. 19 December 2015.
  2. ^ "Surface Coal Mining Statistics". www.bgs.ac.uk. 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  3. ^ "Energy Trends". www.gov.uk. 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Bradley mine: Coal extracted for final time at County Durham site". BBC News. 17 August 2020.
  5. ^ "Clipstone Colliery". Northern Mine Research Society. 11 December 2023.
  6. ^ "Colliery on track for record output shows King Coal is striving to regain crown". The Guardian. 8 December 2008.
  7. ^ "HS2 could mean closure of Daw Mill". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  8. ^ "Employee trust acquires Hatfield Colliery". Insider News Yorkshire. Archived from the original on 10 April 2014.
  9. ^ Mr H's Hot Pot: End of an era at Hilltop Colliery, Lancashire's last coal mine. 2. October 2018.
  10. ^ [1] 9. January 2021.
  11. ^ [2] 15 August 2023
  12. ^ "Hopewell Colliery Museum". Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Tourism Association.
  13. ^ "Hopewell Colliery Centre for Freemining". Hopewell Colliery Museum and Working Mine.
  14. ^ "Freemining in the Forest of Dean 2018". Welsh Coal Mines Forum. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  15. ^ "Monument Free Mine". Forest of Dean Local History Society.
  16. ^ "Monument Free Mine".
  17. ^ "Castle Eden Colliery". Durham Mining Museum. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  18. ^ "Dawdon Colliery". Durham Mining Museum.
  19. ^ "Newbottle Colliery". Durham Mining Museum.
  20. ^ "Shincliffe Colliery". Durham Mining Museum.
  21. ^ "Golborne Colliery". Northern Mines Research Society. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
  22. ^ "Snowdown Colliery". Dover Museum.
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