National Coal Mining Museum for England

About the museum

The museum stands on the site of Caphouse Colliery on the western edge of the Yorkshire coalfield, where coal has been mined for centuries. A plan from 1791 shows a shaft on the site that is probably the oldest coal shaft still in daily use in Britain. The colliery passed through several owners, including the Milnes and Lister Kaye families, and was nationalised in 1947. By 1985 the coal at Caphouse was exhausted and its conversion into a museum began.

The Yorkshire Mining Museum opened at Caphouse in 1988 on a site of about 48 acres, funded by county and district councils with support from British Coal. It was granted national status in 1995, and government funding in 1998 secured its future. A Heritage Lottery Fund grant in 2001 paid for restored buildings, new galleries and a store for large machinery, and since 2002 admission has been free.

Visitors can explore the former colliery buildings, the pithead baths and galleries with interactive models and giant mining machines, and take part in the Time Tunnel, a digital journey through almost 200 years of mining. Underground tours led by former miners descend 140 metres and are normally the main attraction, but they are not running at present. The 42-acre site also has a nature trail, a pony discovery centre, an adventure playground and the Miners' Memorial Garden. Core funding comes from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport through the Science Museum Group, and the museum is a registered charity.

Highlights

• Time Tunnel digital journey through almost 200 years of mining
• Underground tours 140 metres down with former miners (currently suspended)
• Galleries with interactive models and giant mining machines
• Pony Discovery Centre and the history of pit ponies
• Nature trail, adventure playground and Miners' Memorial Garden
• Free admission

Permanent exhibitions

• Time Tunnel – A digital journey through almost 200 years of mining, with films, touchable objects, sounds and smells, suitable for wheelchair users.
• Museum galleries – Galleries on the development of the mines and mining communities, with interactive models and giant machinery.

Founded

1988

Operated by

National Coal Mining Museum for England Trust Ltd

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission to the museum is free, and surface visits do not need to be booked. The Time Tunnel is ticketed. Underground tours (suitable for ages 5 and over) normally work on a £7.50 deposit for a miner's check, which visitors can keep as a donation or have refunded; they are currently suspended. Parking is normally free but is charged in the summer holidays and at some special events. A Blue Peter badge gives a free underground tour ticket.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum is on original colliery sites, so not all areas are easy to reach, particularly for wheelchair users and pushchairs. Ten Blue Badge spaces are next to the main building with level access to The Hub. Accessible toilets are in the main entrance building, at Hope Pit, the Pony Discovery Centre and the Pithead Baths. A wheelchair-friendly shuttle run by volunteers (not guaranteed daily) serves the main parts of the site, and accessible overground tours can be pre-booked. The Time Tunnel is suitable for wheelchair users; electric wheelchairs cannot go underground, and wheelchair users should phone to book underground tours. Assistance dogs are welcome on site but not underground or in the Time Tunnel. Fiddle backpacks for sensory needs can be borrowed with a £10 deposit, and a visual story is available.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area

Hands-on activities, the Pony Discovery Centre, an adventure playground, a nature trail and Wacky Wednesday sessions for under-5s. Nature backpacks can be borrowed. Not all areas are easy to reach with a pushchair, and the nature trail can be muddy and steep. Baby changing is in three gender-neutral accessible toilets (The Hub, Hope Pit and the Pony Discovery Centre); high chairs and bottle warming are available.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on the main road between Wakefield and Huddersfield (what3words: prop.birthdays.sung).

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop
• Lockers

Caphouse Cafe (breakfast and lunch, children's Snap Tin meals, afternoon tea Thursday to Sunday). Lockers in The Hub cost £1 (non-refundable); belongings can be left in the lamp room free of charge during an underground tour. Indoor and outdoor picnic areas. Free Wi-Fi is mentioned only for delegates hiring the conference suite.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Up to 150 guests.

The Caphouse Suite holds up to 150 delegates theatre-style, or can be split into two or three smaller rooms; audio-visual equipment, free parking and museum access are included, and tours can be added. Enquiries to events@ncm.org.uk.

Plan your visit