In places the eastern edge of the coalfield extends into Derbyshire and members of the Peak District Mines Historical Society have recorded workings there. The latter work has been published in Mining History from 2002 onwards, predominantly by Heathcote.1 There are also regular reports on small coal workings by Barnatt in the PDMHS Newsletter over the same period. The latter also undertook a detailed surface archaeology surveys/analyses of Goyts Moss colliery.2 There have also been studies of mining around Whaley Bridge and in the Buxton coalfield.3,4

The main Derbyshire coalfield is a southern extension of the Yorkshire coalfield and so reflect it in many aspects. In turn, it dips eastwards into Nottinghamshire and north-east Leicestershire. There was a significant ironstone mining industry around Clay Cross.

The pages of the Derbyshire Archæological Journal and the Bulletin of the Peak District Mines Historical Society carry papers on this area.

When the coal industry was nationalised in 1947, there were 68 collieries in Derbyshire; now there are none. The last five pits to close were Renishaw Park (1989), Creswell (1991), Bolsover (1993), Markham (1993) & Shirebrook (1993)

  1. Heathcote, C. “Lead Veins within the Coal Mines around Whaley Bridge, New Mills and Bugsworth, Derbyshire” Mining History, Vol.15 No.1 (2002)
  2. Barnatt, J. & Leach, J. (1997) “The Goyt’s Moss Colliery, Buxton” Derbyshire Archaeological Journal Vol.117, pp.56-80
  3. Leach, J. (1992) Coal Mining around Whaley Bridge. Matlock: Derbyshire Library Service
  4. Roberts, A. F. & Leach, J. (1985) The Coal Mines of Buxton. Cromford: Scarthin Books

Collieries after Nationalisation in 1947

Colliery Location Opened Closed
Alfreton Meadow Lane 1895 February 1968
Arkwright Arkwright Town 1899 April 1988
Avenue Shaft Wingerworth 1950 1950
Bentinck Kirkby-in-Ashfield 1895 (1988) Merged with Annesley
Blackwell ‘A’ Winning Berristow 1861 March 1969
Blackwell ‘B’ Winning Berristow 1880 November 1964
Bolsover Bolsover 1890 April 1993
Bond’s Main Temple Normanton 1896 May 1949
Bretby Newhall 1875 May 1962
Brookhill Pinxton 1908 (August) (1968) Merged with Bentinck
Butterley Drift Denby 1945 October 1947
Cadley Hill Swadlincote 1869 March 1988
Church Gresley Church Gresley 1855 (September (1967) Merged with Cadley Hill
Clay Cross (Park House) Chesterfield 1935 1947
Coppice Shipley 1874 August 1966
Coppice, No.2 Shipley 1900 August 1966
Coppice, No.3 Shipley 1930 August 1966
Cotes Park Alfreton 1854 May 1963
Creswell Creswell 1895 September 1991
Denby Denby 1854 February 1968
Denby Hall Denby 1875 (January) (1967) Merged with Denby
Field Shaft Shipley 1947 1950
Ford’s Denby 1950 1950
Glapwell Glapwell 1885 June 1974
Granville, No.1 Pit Swadlincote 1854 (October) (1967) Merged with Rawdon
Granville, No.2 Pit Swadlincote 1854 (October) (1967) Merged with Rawdon
Grassmoor Temple Normanton 1854 (August) (1950) Merged with Williamthorpe
High Moor Killamarsh 1957 (December) (1989)
Holmewood Holmewood 1874 September 1968
Ireland Staveley 1875 (October) (1986)
Langton Alfreton 1842 (November) (1967) Merged with Kirkby
Langwith Mansfield 1876 August 1978
Manners Ilkeston 1874 October 1949
Mapperley Stanley Common 1870 March 1965
Markham Duckmanton 1881 June 1993
Markham, No.1 Duckmanton 1881 (March) (1967) Merged with Markham
Markham, No.2 Duckmanton 1887 (March) (1967) Merged with Markham
Markham, No.4 Duckmanton 1930 (March) (1967) Merged with Markham
Morton Morton 1866 May 1965
Netherseal Netherseal 1870 December 1947
New Langley Heanor 1859 (February) (1960) Merged with Ormonde
Ormonde Loscoe 1905 September 1970
Oxcroft Clowne 1900 April 1974
Park House Danesmoor 1880 October 1962
Pilsley Pilsley 1867 April 1957
Pinxton Pinxton 1938 March 1950
Pleasley Pleasley Hill 1871 (January) (1984)
Plymouth, No.2 Pinxton 1940 March 1950
Ramcroft Heath 1915 October 1966
Renishaw Park Eckington 1859 March 1989
Reservoir Pit Overseal 1875 March 1948
Ripley Ripley 1846 (October) (1949) Merged with Denby Hall
Shirebrook Shirebrook 1896 April 1993
Shirland Shirland 1864 May 1965
South Normanton Berristow 1895 March 1951
Stanhope Bretby Newhall 1960 March 1966
Stanley Stanley 1895 July 1961
Swadlincote Swadlincote 1854 February 1965
Swanwick Alfreton 1854 September 1968
Thorntree Drift Newhall 1930 April 1947
Westthorpe Sheffield 1923 February 1984
Whitwell Whitwell 1890 June 1986
Williamthorpe Temple Normanton 1854 March 1970
Wingfield Manor Oakerthorpe 1908 (November) (1963) Merged with Swanwick
Woodside, No.1 Shipley 1875 April 1966
Woodside, No.2 Shipley 1900 January 1960
Woodside, No.3 Shipley 1930 (1961) Merged with Coppice
Woolley Moor Stretton 1955 1955
Dates in brackets indicate the date that the colliery merged with another
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