Draycott Cross Colliery - Stoke-On-Trent

History

“Hidden in the hills of northern England lies an old railway tunnel that once served a colliery. Construction began in 1898, and the tunnel officially opened in January 1909. Throughout its operation, the tunnel was prone to collapse. Steel hoops were added in an attempt to reinforce it, but despite these efforts, it was closed in 1922. Decades later, in 1983, a private company purchased the land and reopened the drift mine to extract coal. This continued for a few years until the colliery finally shut down in 1991. The land was sold again, and the adits were sealed—well, almost. As we explored the tunnel, it was clear coal had once been mined here. The blackened brickwork absorbed every beam of light, swallowing the glow of our torches. Many of the lower levels are now flooded, a common sight in places like this where the pumps that once kept the tunnels dry have long since stopped working. Corrugated iron beams still line the walls and ceilings. Old mine carts—some in surprisingly good condition—sit abandoned, alongside worn coal-mining tools and even a National Coal Board donkey jacket. These are the fading remnants of an industrial age slowly being forgotten by time”.