This is a list of coal mines in the United Kingdom, sorted between those operating in the 21st century and those closed earlier.
The last operating deep coal mine in the United Kingdom, Kellingley colliery in North Yorkshire, closed in December 2015.[1] After 2015, most continuing coal mines were collieries owned by freeminers, or open pit mines of which there were 26 in 2014.[2] However, since December 2023 -with the closure of Ffos-y-fran- no major opencast coal mine operates. The largest mine is Aberpergwm, which is a drift mine. For example, in January 2024 the production of all opencast mines were around 1,000 tonnes while Aberpergwm (and other underground mines) produced around 7,000 tonnes.[3]
These coal mines closed in the 21st century or still operate.
| Mine | Owner | Region | Production (tonnes) | Manpower | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley Surface Mine | ? | <30 (2018) | Closed August 2020[4] | |||
| Clipstone Colliery | ? | 1,300 (?) | Closed 2003[5] | |||
| 3.25 million (2008) | 683 (2008)[6] | Closed 7 March 2013[7] | ||||
| Hatfield Colliery Ltd | 704,740 (2011) | 400 (2011) | Closed July 2015[8] | |||
| Grimebridge Colliery Company Ltd | ? | 3 (2011) | Closed, 2014[9] | |||
| UK Coal Operations Ltd | 2,276,434 (2011) | 695 (2011) | Closed 18 December 2015 | |||
| UK Coal | ? | <400 | Closed April 2013 | |||
| UK Coal Operations Ltd | Nottinghamshire | 1,283,346 (2011) | 613 (2011) | Closed July 2015 | ||
| Hartington | ? | Derbyshire | 87,000 | ? | Closed September, 2020[10] | |
| Danygraig 4 drift mine | Three D's Mining Limited | Wales | ? | ? | Closed March 2021 | |
| Ffos-y-fran Land Reclamation Scheme | Merthyr Tydfil | South Wales | 1,000,000 (at peak) | ? | Closed November 2023[11] | |
| Aberpergwm drift mine | Energybuild Ltd | Wales | <100,000 | 160 (2021) | Operating | |
| Ayle Colliery (Quarry Drift) | Ayle Colliery Company Ltd | 1,000 | ? | Operating in Feb 2020 | ||
| Hopewell Colliery | Rich Daniels[12] (Freeminer) | ? | ~1 (2018) | Operating[13] | ||
| Wallsend Colliery & Morse's Level | Mike Howells[14] (Freeminer) | ? | ? | Operating | ||
| Monument Colliery | Ray Ashly, Richard Daniels & Neil Young[15] (Freeminers) | 250 (2011) | 3 (2011) | Only freemine in Forest of Dean operating as of 2002[16] |
For the year given.
These coal mines closed before the 21st century.
| Mine | Traditional county | Opened | Closed | Peak manpower | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North East England | ||||||
| County Durham | 1866 | 1982 | (?) | |||
| Castle Eden colliery[17] | County Durham | 1842 | 1959 | 891 (1880s) | ||
| Dawdon Colliery[18] | County Durham | 5 October 1907 | 25 July 1991 | 3,798 (1930) | ||
| Newbottle Colliery[19] | County Durham | 1774 | 1956 | 1,199 (1921) | ||
| Shincliffe colliery[20] | County Durham | 1839 | 1875 | (?) | ||
| East Midlands and Yorkshire | ||||||
| Asfordby Colliery | 1991 | 1997 | 490 | Last deep coal mine to be sunk in England. | ||
| 1841 | 1986 | |||||
| Bagworth Colliery | Leicestershire | 1832 | 1991 | |||
| Hucknall No.1 Colliery | Nottinghamshire | 1861 | 1943 | |||
| Hucknall No.2 Colliery | Nottinghamshire | 1865 | 1986 | |||
| Ollerton Colliery | Nottinghamshire | 1920s | 1994 | |||
| 1900 | 1994 | |||||
| North West and North Staffordshire | ||||||
| Lancashire | 1876 | 1965 | (?) | |||
| Golborne Colliery[21] | Lancashire | 1860s | 1989 | (?) | Site of explosion (1979) in which 10 workers died. | |
| Staffordshire | (?) | 1998 | (?) | Last active coal mine in Staffordshire. | ||
| South East England | ||||||
| Snowdown Colliery[22] | 1907 | 1987 | ||||
| Betteshanger Colliery | Kent | 1927 | 1989 | |||
| Tilmanstone Colliery | Kent | 1906 | 1986 | |||
| Chislet Colliery | Kent | 1914 | 1969 | |||
Ww With given year of peak.