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Museum Details
National Coal Mining Museum for England
Image
National Coal Mining Museum for England
Caphouse Colliery
New Road
Overton
Wakefield
WF4 4RH
West Yorkshire
England
Collection details
Archives
Fine Art
Industry
Natural Sciences
Science and Technology
Social History
Facilities
Parking: yes
Food: yes
Shop: yes
Guided tours: yes
Baby changing facilities: yes
Library: yes
Study area: yes
Wheelchair access: yes
Visual disability facilities: yes
Contact details
General information (Tel)
:
01924 848806
General information (Fax)
:
01924 844567
E-mail
:
info@ncm.org.uk
Website
:
www.ncm.org.uk
Open
Daily 10.00-17.00
Closed
Closed 24-26 December & 1 January
Admission charges
Free admission
Description
The National Coal Mining Museum for England is a great day out and gives visitors the unique opportunity to travel 140 metres underground, down one of Britain’s oldest working mines, where models and machinery depict methods and conditions of mining from the early 1800’s to the present. Experienced local miners guide parties around the underground workings. Above ground visit the pit ponies, find out more about the development of mining and its communities in the exhibitions around the site, take a train ride, see the steam winder and visit the pit head baths. The Museum also has a well-stocked shop where you can get your very own mining memorabilia.
Collections description
The Museum is centred around two late-18th/early-19th century coal mining shafts, with the historic buildings and machinery forming part of the collections. The wooden headgear and steam winding engine at the Caphouse site are unique survivals from a small rural colliery.
The collections reflect life and work in the English coalfields. They range from coal cutters to mining art and literature, and from oral history records to miners’ lamps. The collection has a strong Yorkshire flavour, but also contains much of the British Coal collection from the British coal mining regions.
Fine collections exist of photographs, lamps and checks, small handtools, large mining machinery, and art by and about miners. There is an excellent library that includes an important collection of coal mining fiction.
Articles
Summer 2008 Holiday Ideas At UK Heritage Sites And Museums
Collecting Cultures - HLF Announces Grants For Acquisitions
Bevin Boys Veterans Receive Recognition At National Coal Mining Museum
Buy A Brick Campaign Launched At National Coal Mining Museum
£1.95m For Redevelopment At Mining Museum Of England
News In Brief - Week Ending March 2 2008
News In Brief - Week Ending February 3 2008
Trails
VE Day 60 Years: The Bevin Boys - Fighting The War From The Coalface
Take the Green Guide trail round West Yorkshire
Events
Basically Banners at the National Coal Mining Museum for England
; Exhibition
One Big Blow
; Performance
Murder Mystery - A Christmas Killing
Available resources
Dig Deeper
Workshop
Fred at the Pit Head Baths
Workshop
Mrs Lockwood's kitchen
Workshop
Sally Fletcher - It's a hard life
Workshop
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Information published here was believed to be correct at the time it was prepared. Welsh language pages developed with CYMAL: Museums Archives and Libraries Wales, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government.