The National Coal Mining Museum

A general view

Having taken advantage of the winter months to undertake a detailed examination of the stonework at St. Helen’s church - to both the exterior and interior - the first spring like day coincided with a trip to the National Coal Mining Museum, with the Sheffield U3A Geology Group.

A general view

With the deep coal mining industry in the UK being recently consigned to history, and living in an old village that played its full part in the "Battle of Orgreave", I really appreciated the opportunity to get a small insight into an industry that once powered the economy of this country.

A museum display

As a geologist, and with interests in many things related to stone, I have been inside a few caves, but I had never been down a coal mine before. About 20 of us paid for a special tour of the drift – a small steeply inclined tunnel complete with conveyor belts and rail tracks once used to move the coal from deeper levels – and then joined the free general tour.

An old locomotive

There is not much rock to see - apart from thick seams of coal that form part of reconstructed scenes and various exposures of shale and flowstone - but I was particularly impressed by the construction of the tunnels themselves, including the related plant and machinery, and other services that were needed before a single bit of coal could be extracted.

The Kellingley Colliery Memorial

I find it hard to imagine what this industry must have been like, with thousands of miles of similar structures running all through the Coal Measures strata of the British Islands. As a field trip leader - along with various other geological sites and historic monuments - I would certainly include the National Coal Mining Museum on my itinerary for any group of Geotourists who might want to see this part of England.

A piece of coal