About Us

The Friends of Hemingfield Colliery is a group formally established in February 2014 as a company limited by guarantee (08876249) – the form of organisation widely used by not for profit and charitable organisations.

Consisting of a small but active board of Directors – Steve, Glen, Christine and Ian, we are working with local authorities including Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, partner agencies such as the Dearne Valley Landscape Partnership, and members of the local community and volunteers, to take forward plans for the conservation of Hemingfield Colliery together with the development of new sustainable uses for the site.

In particular we acknowledge The National Lottery Heritage Fund, and National Lottery Players for enabling the volunteers to save Pump House Cottage, reunifying the two halves of the former colliery site, and enabling the group to open up the unique environment and built heritage of the site, and to celebrate the stories of the history of engineering innovation and plain hard work of local communities in powering Victorian and later mining industry locally and nationally.

Coal mining made an important impact on the South Yorkshire landscape both socially,
culturally and economically. The Friends of Hemingfield was set up to acknowledge that contribution whilst working to create a new facility for the present day Hemingfield community.

Developed by Earl Fitzwilliam in the 1840s, the site is a remarkable survival of the end of the Nationalised Coal industry and an important landmark bearing testament to the lives of working people and industry of the whole area from Victorian times to the present day.

After suffering significant neglect, theft and vandalism in more recent times, the site was in danger of being lost forever when UK Coal announced their bankruptcy in 2013, and the pit fell into the hands of the receivers.

View of Hemingfield Colliery, March 2013, before the Friends secured the site.

This critical development led to the establishment of the Friends of Hemingfield Colliery, a group of individuals determined to save the site and to build a new future for it which respected the important industrial and social heritage, but would also provide opportunities for volunteering and community engagement.

In December 2013 the group made an offer to purchase the site to safeguard it but the transaction didn’t complete until June 2014. The Friends of Hemingfield Colliery is eager to press forward with its plans to repair, refurbish and reuse the buildings and the site.

View of Hemingfield Colliery, July 2019. Five years of stewardship by the Friends of Hemingfield Colliery

Our story

On Monday 19th April 2021 our Chair Steve Grudgings presented the Bramah lecture, to the South Yorkshire Industrial History Society, entitled ‘Restoring Hemingfield Colliery: Trials, Tribulations & Triumphs.’ which provides an overview of the work the Friends have been engaged in since their formation: