Pleasley Colliery
Former colliery near Mansfield with two restored steam winding engines, a small mining museum and a visitor centre with café.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Pleasley Colliery was sunk in the 1870s by the Stanton Iron Company, which obtained its lease in 1872, and coal production began at the end of that decade. The pit worked until 1983, when it closed after a final period of use for moving men and materials. Most of the surface buildings were demolished from 1986.
The engine house complex survived thanks to a local preservation listing and was later protected as a Scheduled Monument. The Friends of Pleasley Pit, founded in 1995, began restoring the site, and volunteers brought two steam winding engines back into working order: one dating from the early 1900s and the other installed in 1922.
Today the Pleasley Pit Trust, a volunteer-led charity, runs the site with the Land Trust as a mining heritage museum and visitor centre. Visitors see the engine houses, the pit top with its cage and tubs, the banksman’s control room, and displays of tools, photographs and the social history of the mining families. The colliery stands in a country park and nature reserve.
Highlights
- Two restored steam winding engines
- Pit top with cage, tubs and tracks
- Banksman’s shaft control room
- Tools, photographs and mining community history
- Steam winding engine demonstration days
- Visitor centre with café in a country park
- Operated by
- Pleasley Pit Trust
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Groups | –Guided tours for booked groups (bookings@pleasleypittrust.org.uk). |
|---|
Admission is free. School visits cost £6.50 per student.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- 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
The site is described as wheelchair accessible, with toilets including accessible toilets. Water is provided for dogs, and the café has a separate dog-friendly area (Barkers).
Kids & families
The site includes a country park and nature reserve. School groups can take part in pond dipping and minibeast activities.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Pit Lane · 5-min walk
The Pit Lane bus stop is a 5-minute walk from the visitor centre.
By car
Free parking
The extended free car park is open 9:30 to 14:00 (the site is closed on Tuesdays and the gates are locked outside these hours), with a maximum vehicle height of 2.3 m. A smaller free Land Trust car park for country park visitors is on the left just before the main gates.
About 4 miles from junction 29 of the M1. The country park gates are open 6:30 to 21:00 from March to September and 6:30 to 18:30 from October to February.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Wi-Fi
Free WiFi. Café with indoor and outdoor seating (hot food until 13:30 on weekdays and until 14:00 at weekends); cafe phone +44 1623 573064.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Private parties
- Corporate events
The visitor centre has meeting rooms and dining areas for business meetings, conferences and celebrations, with outdoor space; guests can see the museum during an event.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided group tours are booked by email. School visits run on Wednesdays or Thursdays from 10:00 to 14:30 for up to 30 students, with a museum tour and nature reserve activities and an on-site classroom. |
