The National Coal Mining Museum

In Brief.

Coal may not be the energy source of the future, but it was dominant for many years, giving rise to a huge industry and many mining communities. Both are commemorated at the substantial National Coal Mining Museum, which though named as a museum, should perhaps be seen as a coal mine with a museum attached rather than the other way around. The must-do element of a visit is the miner-led tour 140m underground, to see the changing technologies that extracted the coal and the experiences of miners. It all makes office work seem rather tame. 

The Pit Head at Caphouse Colliery.

What's Here?

Coal may now be public enemy number one, in the context of global warming, but it powered the machines and transport of the industrial revolution, and generated a lot of the country's electricity until quite recently. To do this, there was a huge industry, at one time with more than a million employees, and this museum gives some insights into the often gruelling task of mining coal and the communities that formed around the mines.

The museum employs former miners to conduct underground tours, and indeed the museum is on the site of two collieries, Caphouse Colliery and Hope Pit. Underground tours take place at the former, for which significant infrastructure must be maintained, for example in the form of the cage for descending and water extraction to prevent the pit from flooding. A water treatment plant is among the above ground exhibits. Our tour, led by a former mine electrician, spent over an hour exploring the history of mining, from hand extraction to substantial mining machines, and the associated hazards. My grandfather was almost killed in a mining accident, so the otherwise alien working environment seemed closer to home than it might have otherwise. Though not the easiest way to make a living, and certainly not the safest, the guide certainly gave the impression that the close communities helped to compensate for the challenging work. 

The winding engine at Hope Pit.

Above ground, there is a modern museum complex with various exhibitions on the topics such as the history of mining in the UK, the evolution of technology, and safety devices for gas detection. There are also the various mine buildings, from the steam engine that drives the winding gear to the pit head showers that saved the miners from travelling home in their blackened work clothes. I also heard that for my grandfather the ability to travel home clean was a big deal; the showers with "clean" and "dirty" sides were installed in 1938, over a century after the first shaft was sunk on the site.

Practicalities.

Distance from Manchester Town Hall: 39 miles

Drive Time: 1 hour

Price: $

Parking: There is free on site parking.

Food and Drink: There is a cafe / canteen, doing both substantial slabs of cake and lunches.

Retail Therapy: There is a souvenir shop, but you shouldn't come here to shop.

Child Friendly: Certainly designed with young visitors in mind, but by no means child-specific.  There is a substantial play area for primary age kids.

Toilets: Yes.

Do it justice in: 3 to 4 hours. The underground tours are over an hour.

Inside-Outside: 90:10

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