Pithead Collection

Lea Hall Colliery and Rugeley A Power Station, Staffordshire, 1963. Lea Hall was the first colliery planned and sunk by the National Coal Board (NCB) and work began in 1954

Markham Main Colliery, Armthorpe, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, 1961. A general view of the colliery taken during refurbishment work in 1961

Frickley Colliery, South Elmsall, West Yorkshire, 1965. Artist: Michael Walters
Frickley Colliery, South Elmsall, West Yorkshire, 1965. With its shaft sunk in 1905, Frickley Colliery in the village of South Elmsall, West Yorkshire

Wath Main Colliery, Wath upon Dearne, near Rotherham, South Yorkshire, 1956. Artist
Wath Main Colliery, Wath upon Dearne, near Rotherham, South Yorkshire, 1956. The pit was originally sunk in 1876 to a depth of 382 yards

Queen Mary visiting a Welsh colliery, 1935. A print from King Emperors Jubilee, 1910-1935, by FGH Salusbury, Daily Express Publications, London, 1935

Building the pithead, 1832, (1833). Creator: Auguste Raffet
Building the pithead, 1832, (1833). Construction de la descente de Fosse'. Soldiers with baskets and wooden beams in a nocturnal hilly landscape

Soldiers at a mineshaft, 1832, (1833). Creator: Auguste Raffet
Soldiers at a mineshaft, 1832, (1833). Communication de la descente de Fosse'. Soldiers making a fire. On the right in the foreground a large basket (gabion)

Mouth of the Harton Coal-Pit, South Shields, 1854. Creator: Unknown
Mouth of the Harton Coal-Pit, South Shields, 1854. Mr. Airy['s] grand object was to arrive at the weight of our globe...it being necessary to know this before we can proceed to determine

The Fatal Accident at New Hartley Colliery: view from the railway, taken shortly after... 1862. Creator: Unknown
The Fatal Accident at New Hartley Colliery: view from the railway, taken shortly after the catastrophe, 1862. The Hartley Colliery disaster was a coal mining accident in Northumberland, England

The Fatal Accident at New Hartley Colliery: removal of the coffins containing the bodies, 1862. Creator: Unknown
The Fatal Accident at New Hartley Colliery: removal of the coffins containing the bodies, 1862. The Hartley Colliery disaster was a coal mining accident in Northumberland, England

Rossington Colliery, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, 1964. Artist: Michael Walters
Rossington Colliery, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, 1964. The main pit head and winding gear at Rossington Colliery. The original owners of the colliery were the Rossington Main Colliery Ltd which was

Bilston Glen Colliery, Midlothian, Scotland, 1960. Artist: Michael Walters
Bilston Glen Colliery, Midlothian, Scotland, 1960. Bilston Glen pit was sunk between 1952 and 1961. It was the scene of violent clashes between striking miners

A Colliery Winding Engine, c1864-1930. Artist: Anna Lea Merritt
A Colliery Winding Engine, c1864-1930

The pit head and offices at Ollerton Colliery, North Nottinghanshire, 11 July 1962

Pit ponies, South Yorkshire, 1967. Artist: Michael Walters
Pit ponies, South Yorkshire, 1967. In 1913 there were 70, 000 pit ponies at work in Britain, according to government statistics

The heapstead at Kadeby Colliery, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, 1956. The heapstead showing the top of the winding gear

The Big A, Hem Heath Colliery, Trentham, Staffordshire, 1960. Artist: Michael Walters
The Big A, Hem Heath Colliery, Trentham, Staffordshire, 1960. A view of the headgear of no 2 shaft, known as the Big A due to its distinctive shape

Lea Hall Colliery, Rugeley, Staffordshire, 1961. Artist: Michael Walters
Lea Hall Colliery, Rugeley, Staffordshire, 1961. Lea Hall Colliery was sunk in 1954 and full production began in 1960. The mine was highly productive

Killoch Colliery, Ayrshire, Scotland, 1960. Artist: Michael Walters
Killoch Colliery, Ayrshire, Scotland, 1960. Two miners look towards the new winding tower at Killoch Colliery in Ayrshire

The main fan drift at Rossington Colliery, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, 1966. Artist
The main fan drift at Rossington Colliery, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, 1966. The main fan drift at Rossington Colliery, photographed from the north during re-furbishments in 1966

Newly installed conveyor sytem at Hickleton Main pit, Thurnscoe, South Yorkshire, 1961. The conveyor sytem at Hickleton Main before the belt was fitted in July of 1961

Installing a cage at Hickleton Main pit, Thurnscoe, South Yorkshire, 1961. Artist
Installing a cage at Hickleton Main pit, Thurnscoe, South Yorkshire, 1961. During the drive to improve the pits in the South Yorkshire area during the 1950s and 1960s

Heavy lifting gear at Hickleton Main pit, Thurnscoe, South Yorkshire, 1961. Artist
Heavy lifting gear at Hickleton Main pit, Thurnscoe, South Yorkshire, 1961. A Coles Crane operated by Mobile Lifting Services was brought in to lift heavy girders during the refurbishment work

The new headgear at Kilnhurst colliery, South Yorkshire, 1957. Artist: Michael Walters
The new headgear at Kilnhurst Colliery, South Yorkshire, 1957. The new headgear under construction at Kilnhurst Colliery near Rotherham

Markham Main Colliery, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, 1956. Artist: Michael Walters
Markham Main Colliery, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, 1956. This photograph shows the upcast ascent gear at Markham main colliery in Armthorpe, near Doncaster, during refurbishment work in 1956

A view of Horden Colliery, County Durham, 1964. Artist: Michael Walters
A view of Horden Colliery, County Durham, 1964. Horden opened in 1900 and worked for just 84 years, closing just after the miners returned to work after their year long strike

Modernisation of the South Yorkshire coalfields, Cadeby Colliery, near Doncaster, 1955. Civil engineers make preparations for a concrete pour on the site of the new heapstead at Cadeby Colliery

Work girls at the Wigan Collieries, late 19th century. From Cassells Illustrated History of England, Vol IX

Coal mining disaster, Oaks Colliery, Barnsley, Yorkshire, December 1866. 350 people were killed in the disaster including a number who perished in the second

Pithead at Hebburn Colliery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne area, 1860. The engine house (left) provides power for the winding gear (centre) which is raising baskets (corves)

Aftermath of a mining accident, Montceau-les-Mines, France, 1895. Pit-head scene showing the reactions of friends and relatives as victims of a fire-damp (mainly Methane)

Coal mining accident, Courrieres Mines, Pas-de-Calais, France, 1906. Anxious friends and relatives wait at the pit-head while bodies of the victims who died when the roof fell in are brought to

Sketch of the Harrington Mill Pitt Colliery, County Durham, early 19th century. Artist: Middlemist
Sketch of the Harrington Mill Pitt Colliery, County Durham, early 19th century. View of the pit head, showing the steam engine house

Section of a Coal Mine, 1860. Artist: Thomas Dick
Section of a Coal Mine, 1860. A general pit head scene showing an engine house for a steam engine, the pit head winding gear and the underground areas of the mine in cross section

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