The Archaeology of the British Coal Industry

Palmer, Marilyn; Nevell, Michael

Abstract

This chapter concentrates on the archaeology of the coal industry within Britain, with a focus on extraction, processing, and transport, while placing the eighteenth-, nineteenth-, and twentieth-century industrial remains within a wider European context. It describes the remains of the extraction process, mostly now only visible above ground, although opencast mining does sometimes produce below-ground evidence. It looks at the issues of drainage and haulage at colliery sites, the preparation of the coal on the surface, particularly its conversion to coke, and its role in the production of gas. The transport of coal from the pithead, especially using waggonways and canals, is also discussed. The role of workers’ housing is also reviewed

Citation

Palmer, M., & Nevell, M. The Archaeology of the British Coal Industry. In The Oxford Handbook of Industrial Archaeology (74-94). Oxford University Press (OUP). https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199693962.013.10

• Online Publication Date: Apr 20, 2022
• Deposit Date: Mar 18, 2024
• Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
• Pages: 74-94
• Book Title: The Oxford Handbook of Industrial Archaeology
• Chapter Number: 6
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199693962.013.10