Hemingfield Colliery - FoHC

11/08/2026

Looking forward to these live performances in September as part of the Heritage Open Days!

🎵⛏️ Heritage Open Days 2026: Remember the Coal, The Highlights!

Join us for a powerful and moving exploration of Britain's mining heritage with "Remember the Coal", an acclaimed musical mining story presented by singer-songwriter Alan Wood and narrator John Snook.

The performance combines original folk songs with storytelling to bring to life the history, hardships, camaraderie and legacy of the coal mining industry.

📅 Saturday 19 September 2026
📍 Elsecar Heritage Centre: Visitor Centre
⏰ 11:00am - 12:00pm
🎟️ Free tickets available but must be pre-booked.

To book: 📧 [email protected]
📞 01226 740203

Followed by a special open-air performance of mining-related songs at:
📍 Hemingfield Colliery - FoHC
⏰ 2:00pm

Don't miss this tribute to the miners and mining communities that helped shape Britain.

10/08/2026

Skipping through into Summer.
An update from the Friends from May to August.

As of August, the summer of 2026 has been a punishing stretch of hot dry weather. Little rain. Ground parched. Yellowed grass and wilting plants. A rapid recap of how we got here and the Friends& #8…

02/08/2026

Another busy working day on site on Sat 1st August - what better way to celebrate Yorkshire Day together !?

As well as keeping on top of the garden, some rubble sorting was under way down the side of the site.

As well as discussions of plans for Heritage Open Days in September, we also tried on some new tshirts, much needed in the hot sun.

20/07/2026

Busy bees down by Pit Row, just like our regular volunteers!

20/07/2026

20/07/2026

Another beautiful weekend in the garden at Pump House Cottage.

Volunteers on site doing some preparation for our Open Days in September. Tidying up inside and out.

We're collecting and crushing aluminium cans to raise funds for restoration works.

Off site the Friends plan new work to submit bids for grants in order to rebuild our front wall, to start repairing the burned out roofless switchgear building, and to work with Historic England on planning restoration permissions and methods for our Scheduled Monument site and Grade 2* listed Pump House Cottage.

---Looking ahead---

Looking to Heritage Open Days in September we will be working with RSPB Old Moor and Elsecar Heritage Centre on exhibitions and contributing to the programme of talks at the Visitor's Centre in Elsecar.

We continue to welcome support from friends near and far to help us save and share the story of this remarkable surving Victorian colliery site, part of Earl Fitzwilliam's collieries.

We're also really looking forward to see the new programme of 'Made in Elsecar' activities at the Heritage Centre, after the Cultural Development Fund works which were first funded in 2022 are finally completed hopefully in August 2026.

Check out the latest planned activities here:
https://www.elsecar-heritage.com/whats-on

From with the restoration of the Newcomen Engine in 2014,
https://hemingfieldcolliery.org/2014/11/23/unveiling-and-activation-of-the-restored-newcomen-type-engine-at-elsecar/

and the Elsecar Heritage Action Zone activities 2017-2020,
https://hemingfieldcolliery.org/elsecar-heritage-action-zone/

the Friends have and continue to support and contribute to championing Elsecar's heritage, through our research, and recently through the support to the interpretation of the new Elsecar Visitors Centre.

Although we ourselves only started in 2014, local people working with the Council have been active much longer in saving and sharing the heritage of this beautiful area; as a bit of a flashback, we have been looking back through the newsletters of the Cortonwood and Elsecar Project from 35 years ago in July-August 1991!

Future plans for the Heritage Centre will no doubt continue to come into focus as funds allow, for more information see:

https://www.elsecar-heritage.com/forging-ahead

17/07/2026

Fantastic addition of the MRA mine abandonment and other plans to the British Geological Survey viewer.

Never been a better time to explore what's beneath our feet!

At the Mining Remediation Authority, we hold around 120,000 coal mine plans – some dating back to the 17th century – and they're now free to explore online.

We've been asking colleagues to share their favourite plan and what it means to them, because these documents mean something different to everyone who looks at them.

This week, Lee Wyatt, senior hydrogeologist in our heat and by-product innovation team, chose plan 17427 pt1A: “Being interesting in mining, history, mining archaeology and old maps, this has some great features, which are not actually part of the plan, but are the details around it.

“There is a drawing of a church – probably St Mary the Virgin’s Church in Denby village – with the old hall behind it.

“In the bottom corner there is also a drawing of an old engine house. This could be one of many, but based on the plan related to Robey Level, for pumping water underground, it is likely to be Robey Engine House.

“The drawing of the engine house also possibly highlights its importance, given the other drawing is the church.

“The plan also marks some other features, such as Denby Old Sough and the route of the old gangway or tramway.

“Finally, for the geologist in me, there is the geology log, or expected geology, for a shaft.”

Whether you're a history enthusiast, a geologist, or simply curious about the landscape beneath your feet, our archive has something to offer.

Search and explore the Mine Plans Catalogue, developed in partnership with the British Geological Survey, at: https://lnkd.in/etz-ngHx

08/06/2026

The Friends were saddened to learn of the recent death of former NCB South Yorkshire Mines Drainage worker Terry Hudson on 29th May this year. Terry kindly shared his memories of his remarkable working life.

https://hemingfieldcolliery.org/people-terry-hudson/

For any other former Mines Drainage workers, and friends, Terry's Funeral will be held at Wentworth Church on Monday 15th June 2026 at 12.00 noon.

We send our deepest condolences to his family at this sad time.

The Friends of Hemingfield Colliery

Terry Hudson and the NCB’S South Yorkshire Mines Drainage Unit – A working life in a vanished industry Terry Hudson (top) and MDU colleagues in a kibble in Barnsley Main Shaft (Courtesy T. Hudson) …

08/06/2026

At the end of National Volunteers Week, we just wanted to take a moment to pay tribute to the regular volunteers at Hemingfield Colliery who are the life and soul protecting our mining heritage.

Thanks to everyone. As the weather is improving, we're looking forward to busier working days on site and open days.

We're planning our contributions to the Heritage Open Days Festival in September, once again collaborating with Elsecar Heritage Centre and RSPB Old Moor on exhibitions and a programme of talks.

We welcome new volunteers and of course any support toward maintaining the site and addressing the backlog of repairs large and small.

Find out more https://www.hemingfieldcolliery.org

23/05/2026

Beautiful day at pit. Come down and have a look around. Find out more and share any interests. Always more to learn.