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 opencast coal mine operates, and opencast production is zero according to the UK Coal Authority. The largest mine is Aberpergwm, which is a drift mine. Aberpergwm (and other small scale underground mines) produced around 106,000 tonnes in 2024 while opencast production was zero (except for 800 tonnes in January, 2024).[3]
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) | One of the only freemines in Forest of Dean operating as of 2002[16] |
a For the year given.
Earlier
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.