National Coal Mining Museum

Caphouse Colliery

Caphouse Colliery is situated on the western edge of the Yorkshire coalfield, where mining has been carried out for centuries.

A plan dated 1791 and showing workings from 1789 to 1795 includes a shaft on the Caphouse site. It is probably the oldest coal-mine shaft still in everyday use in Britain today. Before 1827 the colliery was owned by the Milnes family but then passed into the ownership of the Lister Kaye family, until 1917.

After 1917 the colliery was run by a company, which included the ex-manager Percy Greaves, a colliery owner in his own right. Around 1941 Arthur Sykes of Lockwood and Elliottt bought the colliery and remained as owner until Nationalisation in 1947.

By 1985 the coal at Caphouse was exhausted and its conversion in to a Museum was begun.

The Museum today

The Museum was granted National status in 1995. Following this, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport carried out a detailed study into the Museum, and provided funding which secured its long term future. In 2001 the Museum received a Heritage Lottery Grant of just over £4.5 million. The Museum raised just under £2 million to complement the grant. Work was carried out, which included restoring the buildings, and creating new gallery areas and the store for large machinery.

The National Coal Mining Museum for England is a registered charity administered by a Board of Trustees. 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.

Opening times

Open 10.00am to 5.00pm daily.

The museum is closed from 24th to 26th December 2002 and also 1st January 2003.

Please allow at least 3 hours for your visit.

Admission to the Museum is free.