The National Coal Mining Museum
The National Coal Mining Museum for England is located at Caphouse Colliery, on the western edge of the Yorkshire coalfield, where mining has been carried out for centuries.
In 1988 the Yorkshire Mining Museum opened at Caphouse. It was established with funding from West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire Metropolitan County Councils, Wakefield and Kirklees Metropolitan District Councils and technical support and assistance from British Coal.
Museum and Library
The Museum and Library Zone focuses on our work as a museum and has information about how the Museum works.
The Museum
You can access the Museum's collections online with pictures and descriptions of some of the items in the collections, many of which are not on display in the galleries.
The collections are divided into different sections (industrial, social history, oral history and art and photography), each has a description of what is included in this section and why it is important that we collect these types of items.
The Nature Trail
Discover the tranquility of nature among the birch, oak and ash woodland that now grows on the former colliery spoil tips. Our Nature Trail begins near the picnic area. Take the gravel path to the valley bottom and follow the stream until the path divides. Carry straight on up the hill and you are back at Caphouse or fork right up to the reed beds that are part of the water-treatment plant and Hope Pit displays.
The Library
You can access the library pages, which include what we do and how you can use the Library. You can also search the library catalogue and see what we have in the library online
The Museum is home to original colliery buildings, some of which are over 130 years old. Marvel at the original pithead and see our 1876 steam winder. Visit the pithead baths to see where the miners cleaned up at the end of a shift and the newly restored medical centre, to see how injuries were treated.
The Coal Interface Gallery allows you to see how machinery was used to hew the coal. Visit Mining Lives to find out more about a miner's home and leisure life.
VISITORS INFORMATION:
The Museum is open daily from 10.00am until 5.00pm (closed 1st January and 24th-26th December annually).
Admission to the site and underground tour is free, tours run every 10 minutes from 10.00am until 3.15pm and you do need a ticket to be onsite. The team will give you a map and let you know if there are any special events taking place.
Admission
As this is a real coal mine, warm clothes and sensible flat shoes are recommended. All children (under fourteen years old) must be accompanied by an adult. Contraband items, including cigarettes, lighters and battery or electronically operated equipment, must be left with an attendant in the lamp room during the underground tour. Please note that the battery pack required on the tour weighs 2kg and must be worn by all participants.
Address:
National Coal Mining Museum for England
Caphouse Colliery
New Road
Overton
Wakefield
WF4 4RH