Hopewell Colliery Museum
Working freeminer coal mine in the Forest of Dean offering guided underground tours, plus a surface museum, cafe and shop.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Hopewell Colliery in the Forest of Dean is a mine that offers visitors a guided tour led by a Freeminer. Its visitor site includes a surface museum of mining articles, photographs and equipment, a cafe and a shop, and it presents itself as celebrating the past, present and future of the freemining way of life.
Freemining is a local tradition. People born within the ancient Hundred of St Briavels have long held the right to open small mines, called gales, to work coal, iron ore, ochre and stone. Ochre mining may go back more than 4,500 years, and iron and coal were mined widely in Roman times. The Dean Forest (Mines) Act of 1838 wrote these rights into law, and the colliery says it supports the revival of the tradition; its guides explain how someone can become a Freeminer.
Highlights
- Guided underground tour led by a Freeminer
- Helmets and miner’s lamps provided for the tour
- Surface museum of mining articles, photographs and equipment
- Cafe, shop and picnic areas open without a ticket
Permanent exhibition
- Surface museum – Mining articles, photographs and equipment on show beside the cafe.
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £12 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | £10Children aged 4 to 16. |
| Groups (10+ people) | –Groups of more than 10 people are welcome, with discounts available. |
| Families | £34Two adults and two children. |
| Family ticket (2 adults and 3 children) | £41 |
Prices are for guided underground tours. Admission to the cafe, shop, surface museum and picnic areas is free.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
There is limited wheelchair access, and the underground tour is not suitable for people with limited mobility.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Family ticket | £34 · Two adults and two children. |
|---|
Family tickets are available. The tour is not suitable for very young children.
Getting there & parking
By car
Free parking
Large free car park.
The colliery is on the B4226 between Coleford and Cinderford. Sat-nav postcodes may lead to Speech House, east of the site; the what3words address is uppermost.approach.fixtures.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
Cafe and tea room serving hot and cold drinks, ice cream, snacks and meals, open to all visitors. Souvenir shop and picnic areas.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 45 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Visitors are fitted with a helmet and lamp, which must be worn throughout the mine. Sturdy shoes and warm clothing are needed because it is a real mine. The tour is not suited to very young children, who must be able to wear a helmet and walk unassisted. Schools are welcome and groups can book visits. |
