Derbyshire Coalfield – Derby Area

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