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National Coal Mining Museum

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NATIONAL COAL MINING MUSEUM: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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National coal mining museum.

Postcode: WF4 4RH

The National Coal Mining Museum in West Yorkshire offers a captivating dive into Britain's mining heritage. Through immersive tours and exhibits, it vividly portrays the lives of miners and the industry's profound impact on British history and culture.

Visitor information: national coal mining museum.

The National Coal Mining Museum, located in West Yorkshire, stands as a profound testament to the rich coal mining heritage of Britain. Offering a unique blend of education, history, and hands-on experiences, it provides an unparalleled journey into the lives of the hardworking miners and the evolution of coal mining over the centuries.

The Depths of History: Housed within the historic Caphouse Colliery, the museum’s site has been entwined with coal extraction for more than two centuries. This deep connection grants visitors an authentic glimpse into the various phases of mining advancements from the 18th century onwards.

Underground Tours: One of the most thrilling features of the museum is the guided underground tour. Led by former miners, these tours plunge visitors 140 metres below ground, immersing them in the day-to-day realities of a miner’s life. The stories shared by these guides breathe life into the cold, dark tunnels, making history palpable.

Interactive Exhibits: The museum is replete with interactive displays that chronicle the technical evolution of mining and the socio-political context of the industry. From the dangers of pit life to the camaraderie among miners, these exhibits present a holistic view of mining’s impact on British society.

Mining Lives: Beyond machinery and techniques, the museum dedicates significant space to the personal stories of miners and their families. Photographs, personal items, and interviews paint a vivid picture of the community’s resilience, joys, and challenges.

Conservation Efforts: The museum is not just a preserver of the past but also an active participant in conservation. By maintaining the historic Hope Pit and other structures, it ensures that future generations can also experience this invaluable industrial heritage.

Education and Outreach: With a strong emphasis on education, the museum offers workshops, school programs, and outreach initiatives that educate young minds about coal mining’s significance. Their resources have become invaluable tools for teachers across the country.

The National Coal Mining Museum does more than showcase artefacts; it tells stories — stories of determination, technological marvels, community spirit, and societal transformation. Whether you’re a history buff, a student, or just curious, this museum offers a rich, multifaceted experience that resonates deeply with Britain’s industrial soul.

Guided Underground Tours : Delve 140 metres below ground with ex-miner guides.

Historic Caphouse Colliery : A genuine representation of over two centuries of coal extraction.

Interactive Exhibits : Chronicle mining’s technical evolution and societal influence.

Mining Lives Display : Personal stories, photographs, and artefacts from miners and their families.

Conservation of Hope Pit : Preservation of a historic pit for future generations.

Educational Workshops : Tailored programs for schools and groups, enriching curriculum learning.

Events Calendar : Mining-themed workshops, festive celebrations, and more.

Hands-on Experiences : Engage with machinery and tools used in the mines.

Dedicated Children’s Area : Interactive zones for younger visitors to learn and play.

Scenic Surroundings : Explore the serene landscapes around the museum, a testament to nature’s resilience.

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A Welsh Coal Mining Experience

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  book here, welcome to a welsh coal mining experience. , a blue plaque for the only rhondda valleys apprentice cooper.

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Britain’s best places to see: Mines and mining Museums 1

by Kate McNab, 18-10-18 Post

The driving force behind the Industrial Revolution, mining played an important role in British history. Here are some of the best places to explore our mining heritage up close

Big pit: national coal museum blaenavon.

Big Pit: National Coal Museum. Wales. © Loco Steve (CC BY SA 2.0)

Located in Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its role in the Industrial Revolution, Big Pit: National Coal Museum preserves the heritage of Welsh coal mining and can be recognised by its distinctive red winding tower, which drove the cage providing a route in and out of the mine.

Today at Big Pit you can travel to the very depths of the pit, in the cages that would have transported the miners to their work. An underground tour of the site brings to life the industry that powered the nation throughout the 19 th and 20 th centuries.

Immersive galleries uncover the marvels of modern mining equipment and methods, with recreated scenes illustrating how machines and explosives were used to tear into the rock, exposing the precious coal within. Exhibition spaces in the mine’s old baths, which were built to avoid workers going home damp and dirty and becoming unwell, tell the story of Wales’ mining communities, including Blaenavon.

National Mining Museum Scotland Midlothian

The National Mining Museum, Scotland. © IrenicRhonda (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Operating for almost a century, the Lady Victoria Colliery opened in 1895 and closed in 1981; today the site, which is set over four acres, is one of the best-preserved Victorian collieries in Europe.

Visitors can explore the Museum’s interactive galleries which tell the story of the industrial and social history of coal mining through the ages – an industry which completely dominated areas of Britain – and learn what life was like in a mining community.

It’s the guided tours though, led by experienced ex-miners, which really steal the show. Sharing their knowledge and experiences of working in the pit, they give an unrivalled insight into the mining experience, and allow you to share in their passion for the industry.

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Clearwell Caves Coleford

Clearwell Caves. © tomfkemp (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

A hidden world lies beneath the famous Forest of Dean. Renowned for its breath-taking views, beautiful walks and exciting myths and legends, the forest is also home to an atmospheric natural underground cave system, which has been mined for its valuable iron ore and beautiful red and purple ochre pigments for over 4,500 years.

You can explore the show cave – part natural cavern and part worked mine complex – in your own time, and soak up some of the mine’s long history. Workers’ tools and equipment left abandoned in the mine give a feeling of what the environment would have been like for the miners, and children, who worked here. Today the mine still hosts meet the Forest Freeminers – men (and since 2010, women) aged over 21 with more than a year and a day’s mining experience whose birth right entitles them to mine the cave for its precious materials.

For the more adventurous visitor, booking onto a deep caving tour lets you head off the beaten track and further into the depths of the cave. Donning overalls, a helmet and lamp you’ll be led by an expert guide through the system’s lesser-seen labyrinth of passages and caverns.

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Levant mine and beam engine pendeen.

Levant Mine. © James Stringer (CC BY-NC 2.0)

Cornwall’s Levant Mine forms part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape which, by the early 19 th century had made such leaps and bounds in mining technology that it was able to produce a staggering two thirds of the world’s copper supply. Now recognised by UNESCO World Heritage Site for its fundamental contribution to the Industrial Revolution, this part of the country is rich with stories of mining histories, communities and technologies.

During operation Levant Mine reached out for a hair-raising 2.5km under the sea, following a rich vein of tin and copper ore. Steam engines were used to pump water out of the mine system, while great boulders would roll around on the sea bed above the miners’ heads. The engines that facilitated these world-famous submarine mines can still be seen today in the engine house.

It’s the restored 1840s beam engine though which is a real treasure. The only Cornish beam engine still in action anywhere in the world, it was built to raise the precious ore from bottom of the pit to the surface. The sounds and smells of this working steam relic help bring the mine back to life.

Geevor Tin Mine Museum and Heritage Centre Pendeen

Geevor – The Dry. © Uglix (CC BY-NC 2.0)

A scenic 10-minute stroll away, along a half mile stretch of the South West Coast Path, Geevor Tin Mine reveals a more recent mining story in the County. Operational from 1901 to 1990, Geevor produced around 50,000 tons of raw tine ore from its 85 miles of tunnels. At 67 acres, the site is the largest preserved tin mining site in the country.

In the 60s, Geevor extended its reach into the nearby, then-disused, Levant Mine’s old tunnel system, which still had valuable ore to mine. A team of underground divers were tasked to fix a breach in the sea bed which had flooded the mine; it was drained and work once again resumed.

Unlike its derelict neighbour, Geevor – which ceased operation in the 90s – is left like a time capsule, with workers’ possessions, clothes and tools left as if they had finished work for the day. Tour guides are ex-miners, who take you on a journey through a section of the underground network – just a tiny fraction of the many miles of tunnels which lay flooded beneath your feet.

National Coal Mining Museum for England Wakefield

National Coal Mining Museum for England © Neil Turner (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Based on the site of the Caphouse Colliery – a late 18 th century works which was established to take advantage of a thick seam of coal outside Wakefield – The National Coal Mining Museum for England opened in 1988, just three years after the pit was closed.

The museum brings the history and science of coal mining in England to life, and includes objects relating to miners’ safety and welfare, and the strikes of the 1980s. You can explore the colliery buildings including the baths, stables, winding engine house and control room, and take a ride on a pit train and meet a pit pony.

To get the full mine experience you can take a tour 149 meters underground with an ex miner and experience the conditions that the workers would have endured, and discover the roles that men, women, children and horses would have played over the mine’s operation. You’ll also see how the mining equipment changed and developed over almost 200 years, from the early days of hacking at the coal face with pickaxes, to the heavy machinery used towards the end of the mine’s life.  

Killhope The North of England Lead Mining Museum Durham

Killhope Lead Mining Museum © debs-eye (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Set in the stunning surroundings of the North Pennines, Killhope was one of many mines in the Pennine lead mining industry of the Victorian era. Operational between 1853 and 1910, Killhope was for a time the most prosperous in the country; today, it is the most complete lead mining site in Britain.

Killhope’s landmark, the famous original waterwheel, which was installed in the late 19 th century to facilitate quicker washing of the lead ore has been restored to full working order and is one of only two surviving Armstrong waterwheels.

Today you can don a hard hat, lamp and wellies and follow in the footsteps of a lead miner in Victorian England, have a go at mineral hunting above ground at the washing floor, and try to spot some of the local red squirrels. The museum explores daily family life in the mining community – don’t miss the unique collection of spar boxes – ornate Victorian cabinets and bell jars filled with displays made from varieties of different minerals.

Museum of Lead Mining Wanlockhead

Beam Engine at Wanlockhead © KFCSpike (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The highest village in Scotland (and one of the coldest), Wanlockhead, owes its existence to the abundance of lead and other mineral deposits in the hills, including some of the world’s purest gold. Locknell Mine, a drift mine cut into the hillside was used from the early 18 th century to search for galena – lead ore. Entering the tunnel, you can see the very first piece of galena that the miners found here – left embedded in the rock to bring them good fortune.

Visitors can visit The Straitsteps Cottages, which would have housed the miners, and today are each decorated to illustrate life in a different time period: the mid-18 th century, the mid-19 th century and the early 20 th century. The Miners Library can also be perused – the second-oldest subscription library in Europe, it was established in 1756 by 32 men for the mutual improvement of the community. Part funded by the mining companies, it was also hoped that the library would help quash unruly behaviour.

When you’ve finished visiting the mine and the community’s buildings you can try your hand at panning for real gold, marvel at the beam engine which pumped water out of the mine and learn how lead ore was won and processed here.

Mining Art Gallery Durham

Mining Art Gallery, Bishop Auckland. Courtesy of The Auckland Project

As such an important part of British heritage and identity, it is unsurprising that a wealth of art both created by and capturing the mining communities emerged. In Bishops Auckland, a town which owes its rapid growth during the Industrial Revolution to the local mining industry, a new gallery celebrates the connection between art and mining.

The collection of hundreds of works of arts made in and by the mining community was amassed by Dr Robert McManners OBE and Gillian Wales, who spent three decades locating, recording and buying Mining Art. The works reveal both the claustrophobia and fear of life underground, and the spirit and energy of the community which sustained life above ground.

Featuring prominent artists from the North East, including Tom McGuinness and Norman Cornish, the gallery uses this powerful imagery to preserve the memory of miners and share mining heritage with generations to come.

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One comment on “ Britain’s best places to see: Mines and mining Museums ”

Good article but surprised no mention of Ashley Green mining museum in Lancashire. The very last remnant of the once- great Lancashire Caulfield industry.

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Visitor information

If you’re thinking of visiting us today and would like to experience the underground tour, please call us on 029 2057 3650 to check availability.

The Real Underground Experience - Big Pit National Coal Museum

Big Pit is a real coal mine and one of Britain's leading mining museums.

With facilities to educate and entertain all ages, Big Pit is an exciting and informative day out. Enjoy a multi-media tour of a modern coal mine with a virtual miner in the Mining Galleries, exhibitions in the Pithead Baths and Historic colliery buildings.

All this AND the world-famous Underground Tour. Go 300 feet underground with a real miner and see what life was like for the thousands of men who worked at the coal face.

An award-winning national museum that still retains many features of its former life as a coal mine, standing high on the heather-clad moors of Blaenafon, the tunnels and buildings that once echoed to the sound of the miners now enjoy the sound of the footsteps and chatter of visitors from all over the world.

Underground Tour

Get the most out of your time at Big Pit on weekends and holidays with a JobaKnock ticket .

The Museum is set in a unique industrial landscape, designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000 in recognition of its international importance to the process of industrialisation through iron and coal production.

Big Pit is also an anchor point on the European Route of Industrial Heritage . The route comprises 850 sites across 32 countries and is a fantastic way of finding out about the diverse industrial history across the continent.

Big Pit is a living, breathing reminder of the coal industry in Wales and the people and society it created.

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Plan Your Visit

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• Accessibility
• Extended Mine Tours
• Apedale Valley Light Railway
• Apedale Country Park
• Volunteering
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• Further Education and Training

Take a trip back in time on our underground mine tour and experience the unique atmosphere of a real coal mine that was once the workplace for hundreds of miners. Your experienced guide will show you around the workings, explaining the methods used to mine coal past and present, whilst providing an insight into the working life of a miner.

£5 for Children* and Senior Citizens £8 for Adults. £22 for a Family (2 Adults and 2 Children)

*Unfortunately, we are unable to offer mine tours to children under 5

Tours are available on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays. The tours start hourly from 11am to the last tour at 3pm.

Larger group visits can be arranged on weekdays or evenings by pre-arrangement only.  The charge is £110 for up to 20 people (or 30 pupils for educational organisations) and £3.00 per person after that.

Please  contact us  for more details.

Apedale Coal Mine, one of the very few open to the public, is a footrail, where the coal face is reached by means of an incline, rather than a vertical shaft. It once employed between 100 and 140 men and twice established national records for output per man-shift. This is where the last coal was drawn in North Staffordshire.

Your safety and comfort are our prime consideration. Warm clothing and sensible shoes are advised. Due to current mine regulations, you may be asked to leave some items, such as smoking materials, on the surface. Your mine guide will advise you of what needs to be left and we can store it in the lamp room. Please note that for safety reasons children under 5 are not allowed in the mine, but are very welcome in our main centre.

Behind the scenes our team constantly works to make sure the mine is safe and ready for your visit.

© Llechwedd

Deep Mine Tour at Zip World Llechwedd, Blaenau Ffestiniog, North Wales

Welsh mining attractions

A lot of Welsh life has been lived underground, from ancient cave dwellings to people mining for gold, copper, silver, lead and coal. Discover which underground mining attractions you can visit and explore - from history tours to extreme adventures.

Underground mine exploration in North and Mid Wales

Slate mining and quarrying was a huge industry in North and Mid Wales, and the effects on our landscape can still be seen today. There are plenty of mining attractions for people who love a bit of industrial archaeology to visit safely, either for fascinating history tours or for an exhilarating explore underground.

Find out more about the  UNESCO Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales . 

Great Orme Mines, Llandudno

Craggy, echoey and about as atmospheric as they come, the Great Orme Mines  site was uncovered in 1987 and features a Bronze Age Cavern dug by miners with stone and tool bones 3,500 years ago. Don a hard hat and witness the latest discoveries in one of the world’s largest prehistoric mines. Check out the Great Orme Mines website for visitor info.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Great Orme Mines (@greatormemines)

Zip World Llechwedd, Blaenau Ffestiniog

Blaenau Ffestiniog was once home to several huge slate quarries. The effect of the industry is still clear to see, with huge slate waste tips forming a unique landscape. The town is now a thriving hub for outdoor enthusiasts well as industrial archaeology fans.

History and adventure combine to brilliant effect at Zip World Llechwedd with the Deep Mine Tour . This tour is a family friendly interactive experience with new technology; the first to use augmented reality in an underground setting with iPads providing a window on the past. You access the caverns using Britain’s steepest cable railway to levels of 500ft underground. Find out how the slate was mined and hear the stories of the people who worked there.

Then there’s ‘ Caverns ’, an exhilarating 3-hour course of underground zip lines, rope bridges and tightropes - a perfect option for adventurous families and a fantastic reimagining of the hidden crevices and winding passageways found beneath the surface of the earth.  Bounce Below is home to no less than six huge trampoline-style nets stretched out across a subterranean cavern said to be twice the size of St Paul’s Cathedral. If that weren’t enough, the highest trampoline hangs a mighty 180ft above the cave floor! Or try the Underground Golf , following a course through the caverns which, as well as being immense fun, integrates the history of the mine. 

Zip World Llechwedd, Blaenau Ffestiniog, North Wales

© Llechwedd 2019

Go Below, Eryri

For those keen on pushing themselves even further, the team at Go Below Underground Adventures let you pick between three nerve-jangling packages. The 7-hour ‘ Ultimate Extreme ’ package includes not only the longest and steepest underground zip line in the world (aptly nicknamed ‘Goliath’ ) but also the world’s first - and only - 70ft underground free fall. Each trip offers hours of mine exploration combined with zip lines, cave climbing, traversing and abseiling, all underground! Head to the Go Below website for the latest information, including their new Mine to Mountain experience. 

Go Below, North Wales

© Hawlfraint y Goron / Crown Copyright

Sygun Copper Mine, Beddgelert

More than a century after being abandoned in 1903, Sygun tells the story of Victorian copper miners in colourful fashion. This is the place to trace copper ore veins, silver and gold within the confines of illuminated caves, then relax within its beautiful natural surroundings in the hills of Eryri (Snowdonia). Please check the Sygun Copper Mine's website for opening hours and visitor information.

Sygun Copper Mine, Beddgelert, North Wales

Llanfair Slate Caverns, Harlech

Explore the nine caverns at  Llanfair Slate Caverns , a virtually untouched slate mine. Find out what the conditions were like for the workers. The tour is self-led - perfect for taking your time to absorb the atmosphere. You are provided with a hard hat and a torch and dogs are welcome to go along as well. There's more info in the Llanfair Slate Caverns website .

Video of Llanfair Slate Caverns, near Harlech, North Wales

Corris Mine Explorers, Corris

Get kitted up and embark on an intrepid tour with Corris Mine Explorers . You'll explore Braich Goch, a Mid Wales mine first used in 1836. Chambers, disused machinery and even personal items left behind by the workers give this place a real sense of history. The tours are led by expert guides and they'll tailor the tour for the audience. You can even spend the night underground! They were also awarded the 'Best Activity / Experience in Mid Wales' at the 2019 Mid Wales Tourism Awards. Head to the Corris Mine Explorers website for booking details.

Corris Mine Explorers, Mid Wales

© Corris Mine Explorers

King Arthur's Labyrinth, Corris

For a more sedate, family-friendly experience, step aboard a boat and wind through a labyrinth of tunnels and caverns in historic southern Eryri (Snowdonia), at King Arthur's Labyrinth , Corris. Based in another part of the Braich Goch mines, this time your guide is a hooded boatman on this voyage with a difference, with a litany of Dark Age tales told against the backdrop of luminous expanses of water. Book via the King Arthur's Labyrinth website for the best prices.

King Arthur's Labyrinth, Corris, Mid Wales

© King Arthur's Labyrinth

Underground mining experiences in South and West Wales

Down in South and West Wales, the deep coal mines produced millions of tons of black gold to fuel our industries. While the mines are no longer operational, you can still visit several, now open as brilliant museums.

A Welsh Coal Mining Experience, Trehafod

A Welsh Coal Mining Experience  at Rhondda Heritage Park stands on the site of the former Lewis Merthyr Colliery, which was once one of more than 50 collieries in the surrounding valleys, only closing during the 1980s. Taking a cage underground, you’ll be looked after by the people who wore hard hats for real. The tour guides are all former miners, so you can be sure they’ll have a few good stories to tell. The Welsh Coal Mining Experience website has more info on planning your visit and booking tours. 

A Welsh Coal Mining Experience, Trehafod, Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales

© Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Rhondda Cynon Taf / Rhondda Cynon Taf Council 

Big Pit National Coal Museum, Blaenavon

Another great mining attraction not to be missed is Big Pit, our  National Coal Museum . Located in the World Heritage Site of Blaenavon , this former working mine opened as a museum in 1980. Led by former miners you can discover what the mine was like as you descend 100 metres underground into it’s dark depths. Entry is free. Visit the National Coal Museum website for more details.

Big Pit National Coal Museum, Blaenavon, South Wales

© Amgueddfa Cymru / National Museum Wales

South Wales Miners' Museum,  Afan Forest Park

Take a trip back in time and discover the industrial heritage of the South Wales Miners Museum in the Afan Valley. Exhibits include an extensive collection of photographs and mining artefacts, a replica miner’s tunnel, a Blacksmith Shop, Lamp Room and an Engine House. Please contact the South Wales Miners Museum before visiting for up to date information on opening hours and tour bookings.

South Wales Miners' Museum, Afan Forest Park, Neath Port Talbot, West Wales

© Property of South Wales Miners' Museum

The Winding House, Caerphilly

Housed in a striking glass-walled building on the site of the former Elliot Colliery, the Winding House details the industrial history of the Rhymney Valley. The centrepiece is the massive winding engine that once carried workers and coal between the surface and the mine below. This incredible piece of engineering is kept in working order by a team of devoted volunteers and you can even see it in action on the final Saturday of each month. As well as the engine, the Winding House is home to a collection of documents, photographs and objects which illustrate day to day life here in South Wales at the height of the Industrial Revolution.

The Winding House Museum, Caerphilly, South Wales

© Gyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili /Caerphilly County Borough Council - Nick Rutter

Dolaucothi Gold Mines, Llanwrda

Set in the shadow of the glorious Cothi Valley, Dolaucothi Gold Mines provide a unique insight into Roman gold and copper mining methods 2,000 years ago. Guided tours will tell you the story of the 20th century workers in these caverns and there’s even a chance to try gold panning for yourself. Find out more on the Dolaucothi website .

Further information

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Big Pit National Coal Museum

Discover the world of coal mining on a real underground tour with your guide, and see what life was like for the thousands of men who worked at the coal face.

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UK’s first new coalmine for 30 years gets go-ahead in Cumbria

Michael Gove greenlights £165m project that will produce estimated 400,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year

The UK will build its first new coalmine for three decades at Whitehaven in Cumbria, despite objections locally, across the UK and from around the world.

Michael Gove, the levelling up secretary, gave the green light for the project on Wednesday, paving the way for an estimated investment of £165m that will create about 500 new jobs in the region and produce 2.8m tonnes of coking coal a year, largely for steelmaking.

The mine will also produce an estimated 400,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year, increasing the UK’s emissions by the equivalent of putting 200,000 cars on the road.

The vast majority of the coal produced will be for export, as most UK steel producers have rejected the use of the coal, which is high in sulphur and surplus to their needs.

Where these exports will go is uncertain, as most European steelmakers are turning away from the use of coal and adopting green methods such as electric arc furnaces and renewable energy.

The government said the mine was possible within the UK’s climate legislation, which requires the UK to reach net zero emissions by 2050, as operations will shut down by 2049.

In its report sent to Gove, the Planning Inspectorate claimed the mine would have “an overall neutral effect on climate change”. This, it said, was because the likely amount of coal used in steel making would be “broadly the same with or without” it.

A government spokesperson said the coal would be used to make steel that would otherwise have been imported and not to generate power.

Ministers, however, are braced for an almost-certain legal challenge by those who say the decision risks breaching that target.

Critics said the announcement was cynically timed to placate Tory MPs unhappy with the government for ending the moratorium on new onshore wind projects, which was confirmed 24 hours before.

The shadow climate change secretary, Ed Miliband, said the mine was “no solution to the energy crisis”, would not benefit British steel producers and marked “the death knell of any claims this government has to climate leadership”.

The UK should instead create sustainable jobs in renewable energy, he said, adding a Labour government would make Britain “a clean energy superpower”.

Zarah Sultana, Labour MP for Coventry South, said: “The Tories again show they put the fossil fuel industry before people and planet. Shameful.”

Green MP Caroline Lucas called the decision “a climate crime against humanity”. She said: “Instead of backing 1000s of green jobs & sustainable, long-term economic revival, Govt has backed a climate-busting, backward-looking, stranded asset coal mine.”

The decision “cancels out all the progress Britain has made on renewable energy”, said Tim Farron, the former Liberal Democrat leader who is the party’s environment spokesperson and a Cumbrian MP.

Environmental groups said the new mine would prove a costly and harmful mistake for the climate.

Greenpeace said the UK risked becoming “a superpower in climate hypocrisy rather than climate leadership” and that the mine would do “absolutely nothing” for the country’s energy security because the coal it contains can only be used for steelmaking.

Friend of the Earth said the mine would become an “expensive stranded asset” and would not replace Russian coal.

Laura Clarke, CEO of environmental law firm Client Earth, called the decision “unforgivable”. “Makes no sense in terms of the science, the economics, or indeed the UK’s legally binding netzero commitments,” she said.

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The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, has faced down objections from green MPs within his party. The decision will be welcomed by Conservative rightwingers for whom the mine has become talismanic.

The mine’s backers have been trying to get the project off the ground since 2014. It got local approval in 2020 and was greenlit by ministers in 2021 . But for the past two years the project has been beset by planning delays as the government rescinded its approval as it prepared to take on the presidency of global climate talks ahead of the Cop26 UN climate summit in Glasgow in November 2021.

The UK government handed over its presidency of the UN climate negotiations last month to Egypt, a year after the widely lauded Cop26 resolved to limit global temperature rises to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, an achievement the Cop president, Alok Sharma, warned was “fragile”.

A report by the International Energy Agency last year, commissioned by the UK government while Cop president, found that no new fossil fuel development – of coal, oil, or gas – could take place if the world was to remain within the 1.5C limit.

Sharma told the Observer last weekend he was firmly against the mine. He said: “Over the past three years the UK has sought to persuade other nations to consign coal to history, because we are fighting to limit global warming to 1.5C and coal is the most polluting energy source.

“A decision to open a new coalmine would send completely the wrong message and be an own goal. This proposed new mine will have no impact on reducing energy bills or ensuring our energy security.”

Philip Dunne MP, the chair of the environmental audit committee, said: “Coal is the most polluting energy source, and is not consistent with the government’s net zero ambitions. It is not clear-cut to suggest that having a coalmine producing coking coal for steelmaking on our doorstep will reduce steelmakers’ demand for imported coal.

“On the contrary, when our committee heard from steelmakers earlier this year, they argued that they have survived long enough without UK domestic coking coal and that any purchase of coking coal from a potential site in Cumbria would be a commercial decision.”

Nicholas Stern, the acclaimed economist who has worked on the climate, development and public policy, said the mine would be damaging to the UK, and the world.

“Opening a coalmine in the UK now is a serious mistake: economic, social, environmental, financial and political,” Lord Stern said. “Economically, it is investing in the technologies of the last century, not this, and that is the wrong path to growth. Socially, it is pursuing jobs in industries that are on the way out, creating future job insecurity.

“Environmentally, it is adding to world supply and thus consumption of coal and releasing greenhouse gases when there is an urgent need to reduce them. And politically, it is undermining the UK’s authority on the most important global issue of our times.”

• Michael Gove
• Fossil fuels

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Take a guided tour through a Cumbrian mine

Threlkeld, cumbria.

Explore the relationship between the geology of the Lake District area and the quarrying of local limestone, sandstone, granite and slate in Cumbria.

Take a guided tour through a reconstructed lead and copper mine at the Threlkeld Quarry & Mining Museum. The museum offers activities for all the family, from budding geologists to hopeful prospectors.

The mine tour provides an underground tour of a historic mine, a chance to do some mineral panning, a comprehensive look at the geological make-up of the area and the quarry site is also home to a unique collection of mining and machinery.

Plus take a trip on the site’s own narrow gauge railway and see the three locomotives running on the railway.

Content provided by Cumbria Tourism

• Find out more about Threlkeld Quarry & Mining Museum and plan your visit
• Find more heritage attractions in Cumbria and the Lake District

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Geology Rocks: Explore the world beneath your feet at National Coal Mining Museum

Geology Rocks - a celebration of the world beneath our feet - returns to Yorkshire’s National Coal Mining Museum for England this Saturday.

With opportunities to dig up and handle amazing rocks and fossils, enjoy unique shows and tours, and delve into a range of exciting demonstrations, visitors of all ages will enjoy this jam-packed day organised in partnership with Yorkshire Geological Society (YGS) on May 11, 10am to 5pm.

The Museum, the former Caphouse Colliery, is on New Road, Overton, the main road between Wakefield and Huddersfield.

Most events during the Geology Rocks day of activities, featuring exhibits and workshops, are free, but some activities must be pre-booked - visit the museum’s website for more information at www.ncm.org.uk.

The event boasts the unique opportunity to head underground by walking down the Museum’s steep 600m drift, with a geologist on-hand to answer questions. Booking is essential for this special activity and is suitable for ages 10+ only - CLICK HERE .

Above ground, surface tours will take eventgoers for a walk around the Museum before exploring the Lister-Kaye Tunnel to see rock and coal seams up close - CLICK HERE .

Throughout the day, guests can discover exhibits of fossils, minerals, and rocks, along with seeing exciting rock-cutting and polishing demonstrations up-close. Visitors are welcome to bring their own rocks and fossils to be identified by experts or cut to uncover the secrets within.

There are plenty of creative opportunities for younger visitors with a host of hands-on activities, from setting off a volcano to making a coal seam in a test tube to take home. Run by LoveScience, these free science shows will show children how to test and identify rocks and fossils.

Families can discover how coal was formed and how we know where to find it with The Rock ‘n’ Coal Show. Performed by the Museum’s Living History team, audiences will meet characters from history including Father of Geology William Smith and Marie Curie who will demonstrate exciting scientific experiments.

In the afternoon, YGS will host a series of fascinating short talks, highlighting the best places to see interesting fossils to the geology of Caphouse Colliery. With topics ranging from ammonites to dinosaur footprints, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Lynn Dunning, CEO of National Coal Mining Museum for England said: “After the success of Geology Rocks for the past two years, we’re delighted to again be joining forces with Yorkshire Geology Society to offer our visitors a fun-packed day of exciting exhibits and interactive experiences learning about the ground beneath our feet.”

Paul Hildreth, Member of Yorkshire Geological Society added: “This event is a real showcase for Yorkshire geology, and we hope it inspires the next generation of geologists.

“Experts will be on hand throughout the day to offer advice, identify specimens and even cut rocks to reveal any stored secrets. So, dig out those rocks, minerals and fossils that have puzzled you for so long and bring them along on to find out what they are and the story behind them.”

National Coal Mining Museum’s attractions include underground tours, exhibitions, pony discovery centre, nature trail, adventure playground, café and more.

I is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am-4pm (winter hours until March 24) and 10am-5pm (summer hours from March27).

Entry to the the museum is free but, as an independent charity, donations are appreciated.

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NCMME LINKS :

Website: www.ncm.org.uk

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NCMME

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@ncmme

Instagram: www.instagram.com/ncmme_miningmuseum

Tripadvisor: www.tripadvisor.co.uk

• Museum-School-Visits
• Virtual Workshops
• Home Education Workshops

The National Coal Mining Museum for England creates powerful, meaningful and memorable learning experiences that last.

• Unique and authentic – meet real miners in a real coal mine!
• Sensory – experience the sights, sounds, smells and feel of your heritage
• Exciting – leave the classroom and take your class on a journey of discovery
• Surprising – did you know we have ponies and canaries on site?
• Engaging – our interactive exhibitions and hands on workshops engage pupils of all ages and abilities
• Immersive – Our full days of led activities enable your pupils’ imaginations to run free
• Accessible and Inclusive – our spaces are accessible for wheelchair users and our staff are trained to support pupils with a range of needs.

Museum School Visits

Take your class on a trip underground at the National Coal Mining Museum where they will meet a charismatic former miner in a real mine. Wander through over 15 curriculum linked galleries, stroke horses and see canaries that would have helped miners have better working lives and explore acres of woods.

Remote Learning

Can’t make it to the museum? Don’t worry we can bring the museum to you! While nothing can replace the experience of the real thing, these resources and sessions give you unique access to the museum’s staff and resources, to use alongside your classroom teaching.

Home Learning

Home Educators are always welcome at the National Coal Mining Museum. Every month you can get a deeper understanding of the museum with our specially tailored workshops.

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