Shout Down the Shaft for a Fast Bowler
Such was the indelible link between the Nottinghamshire coalmining industry and the game of cricket that if you required a fast bowler all that was needed was to shout down the nearest mine-shaft.
Coal, Conflict and Closures
On the 40th anniversary of the 1984-85 Miners Strike, follow month-by-month, as we share press-cuttings, photographs and union ephemera from the period.
Return to Bestwood
Reading group of D.H. Lawrence’s short story based at Eastwood (Bestwood in the story) during the 1926 Miners Lockout. Free event at the DH Lawrence Museum, Eastwood, on 10th September 2026 (7pm-8.30pm).
Clipstone Headstocks Museum
Guided tours at the Nottinghamshire coal mining and military museum are on Friday’s at 11am from the start of March to the end of October.
A Brief History of Bestwood Colliery 1872-1967
Bestwood Colliery was one of the largest collieries in the Nottinghamshire coalfield. The preserved veritical winding engine and Gothic engine house can be visited on Saturday’s from 10am to 12 noon.
East Midlands Collieries 1965 -2015
Interactive map – Shows active East Midland Collieries over five decades
A Coal Miner’s Story
Guided surface tours of the preserved Snibston Colliery at Coalville including the ‘Into the Dark’ coal mine simulation take place on various dates during 2026.
Backbone / A Clean Slate
Backbone, a digitally immersive experience by Award Winning film-maker, Meloni Poole, re-examines her 2000 film, A Clean Slate, 25 years on about the miners at Annesley Bentinck Colliery. It premieres later in 2026.
Bread and Roses: Welbeck’s Untold Stories and Coal Mining Stories
Two contemporary coal mining themed art exhibitions are on at the Harley Gallery, Welbeck Estates, Nottinghamshire, in 2026. Free entry.
Owen Watson – Pitman Poet
Owen Watson (1912-1980) was a Pitman Poet from the Heanor area of Derbyshire who wrote in broad local dialect.
Nottinghamshire Coal Queens
Coal Queen competitions at local and regional level were popular in the post 1947 nationalised coal era in Britain with a national event taking place from 1969 – 1983.
The Jayrich Film Group
Jayrich was a 1960’s amateur dramatic group from Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, which included local coalminers and railwaymen in its ranks. They made two spoof Dracula films in the early 1960s.
