The Mining Heritage Centre

The Coal Authority is a public place of deposit and manage a vast collection of mine plans and over 1 million paper records in the Mining Heritage Centre adjacent to our Mansfield Head Office. We hold this archive safely and securely and make the records we hold available for the business and public to view.

This archive holds a rich history of the mining industry and the collieries that have been in operation across Britain. While many of the records in the archive date back centuries, we are still an active centre and continue to receive new records.

One of our most significant collections are the 120,000 ‘abandoned mine’ plans that we hold on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive. Since 1872 there has been a legal requirement for mine plans for the three nations to be deposited following the closure of a mine. This legal requirement is still in force today although there are very few mines now in operation.

If you would like to know more about the Mining Heritage Centre, or to arrange a visit; please contact us