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Barnsley Main Colliery

Barnsley Main Colliery holds a significant place in the history of Barnsley. The coal mine, which operated for over a century, was a crucial part of the local economy and community. It is also connected to the site of the worst mining disaster in England, which claimed the lives of 383 victims. Today, the colliery offers an opportunity to explore its preserved structures and learn about the lives of miners who toiled underground.

Contents

Key info
Visiting guide
History
Sources


Key info

AddressOaks Lane, Barnsley, S70 3ET
CountySouth Yorkshire
Maintained byBarnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Heritage categoryListed Building Grade II

Visiting guide

Open 24 / 7

Free entry

Free car parking

What can I expect when visiting Barnsley Main Colliery?

Your initial starting point will be contingent on your mode of transportation. We arrived by car, as there is no available parking at the colliery itself; hence, we parked at the Dearne Valley Car Park 1, accessible off the A628.

Walk up the A628 towards Barnsley and turn left onto Oaks Lane. Continue up the lane and you will observe the colliery on your left.

Peruse the information boards before continuing your exploration of the site. Proceed to the two bollards on the incline, which indicate the location of former shafts. The shaft to the right was named the ‘Cupola’, and it served to ventilate the old Oaks Colliery situated nearby.

Turn around to take in the view of the steel headstock, added in 1947 following the nationalisation of the coal mining industry. You may also notice steel girders in the shaft head house that were manufactured by the Cargo Fleet Iron Company in Middlesbrough.

Circumnavigate the old winding house, which housed the winding engine utilised to operate the lift into shaft number 2 beneath the steel headstock. The irregular brickwork signifies how the building was continuously developed from the late 19th century right through to the mid-20th century.

Can you spot the 1956 date stone in the winding house? This originates from the era when the colliery was modernised by the National Coal Board, including the extension of the winding house with an additional floor.

Proceed to the shaft head house where you will observe a bricked-up arch marking the main entrance to shaft number 2.

Turn around and follow the concrete path where you will encounter the remnants of a mineral railway that ran into the shaft head house. The railway divides and then runs in a loop. This area served as a loading area for raw materials, located adjacent to the Dearne & Dove Canal that ran along the perimeter of the colliery site. The mineral railway would have also run alongside the canal before connecting with the national rail network.

Continue along the loop for a view of the new garden cultivated by volunteers working tirelessly to develop the colliery site.

You are now free to explore further into the Dearne Valley, abundant with remains of its industrial past.op into the museums and do a round of shopping whilst you are here?

How long does it take to visit Barnsley Main Colliery?

The colliery site is small and will take you roughly 15 minutes to explore so you may wish to explore the surrounding areas in the Dearne Valley.

Is Barnsley Main Colliery suitable for a picnic?

The colliery site is now a green area with a garden and offers plenty of space for a picnic.

How do I get to Barnsley Main Colliery?

The site of Barnsley Main Colliery does not provide parking facilities; thus, the optimal place to park is at the nearby Dearne Valley Car Park 1.

There are bus stops on the A6248 near the junction with Oaks Lane, offering services to and from Barnsley. The closest railway station is Barnsley, which is roughly a 45-minute walk.

History of Barnsley Main Colliery

1830s – Deep mining commences in the area. Barnsley Main Colliery originates as the site of the ‘Cupola’ ventilation shaft for the Oaks Colliery to the south [1].

1866 – A series of methane explosions at Oaks Colliery results in the death of 361 miners and 27 rescuers, making it the most severe mining disaster in England to date.

1890s – Shaft number 2, which would later become part of Barnsley Main Colliery, is sunk.

1906 – Numerous buildings surrounding shaft number 2 are constructed, and the site now appears on the OS map as Barnsley Main Colliery.

1931 – Barnsley Main Colliery expands, absorbing Oaks Colliery.

1947 – Barnsley Main Colliery is nationalised, and ownership transfers to the National Coal Board, who install the steel headstock above shaft number 2.

1956 – The colliery undergoes further modernisation, including the construction of the upper floor of the engine house and the upper part of the shaft-head building.

1966 – Barnsley Main Colliery is closed.

1970s – Shaft number 2 is re-opened for man-riding (to transport miners) into tunnels connected to Barrow Colliery to the south, where coal is brought up to the surface.

1991 – Barnsley Main Colliery ceases operations for good.

2013 – The engine house and pithead structures are first designated as listed structures [2].

Sources

  1. Dearne Valley Landscape Partnership. Site Information Boards.
  2. Historic England (2020) Barnsley Main Colliery engine house and pithead structures. Available at: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1413541 (Accessed: 15 July 2023).

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