MineArchive
Creswell Colliery Band
| Category | Music |
|---|---|
| Dates | Colliery lease 1894; Model Village from 1895; band formed 1899; Miners' Welfare built 1908; colliery nationalised 1947; colliery fire 26 September 1950; colliery closed early 1990s. |
A brass band formed in 1899 as the Creswell Colliery and District Band, which rehearsed in the colliery office until the Miners' Welfare was built in 1908 and was for a long time one of the country's leading brass bands, broadcast several times on BBC Radio.
The mining history in this record
Creswell Colliery came into being after a lease was taken from the Duke of Portland in 1894, and Creswell Model Village was built from 1895 to house the mining families. The Bolsover Colliery Company owned the pit until nationalisation in 1947, and the colliery was known for its sporting and social activities.
The band was formed in 1899 as the Creswell Colliery and District Band. It rehearsed in the colliery office until the Miners' Welfare was built in 1908, and went on to win contests nationally and internationally. It was for a long time one of the country's leading brass bands and was broadcast several times on BBC Radio. Over the years it has played as Creswell Colliery Welfare, Creswell Colliery Institute, Creswell Colliery (Rexco) and Creswell Miners Welfare, and it has competed in the National Mineworkers contests.
People
David Rothery, of the band, who described the Development Training Band.
Legacy today
The colliery closed in the early 1990s, but the band has carried its name for more than 125 years. With music teaching in local schools cut back, it set up a Development Training Band whose weekly lessons, taught by senior band members, and loan instruments are free, and is open to young people and adults.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each tagged with how solidly it's grounded and attached to the source(s) that support it. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- The band was formed in 1899 as the Creswell Colliery and District Band and rehearsed in the colliery office until the Miners' Welfare was built in 1908. (documented fact) 1,2
- Creswell Colliery Band was for a long time one of the country's leading brass bands and was broadcast several times on BBC Radio. (documented fact) 3
- The band has also been known as Creswell Colliery Welfare, Creswell Colliery Institute, Creswell Colliery (Rexco) and Creswell Miners Welfare. (documented fact) 1
- The band runs a Development Training Band with free weekly lessons from senior members and free use of instruments. (contemporary account) 2
Mines
- Creswell Colliery — Derbyshire
Formed in 1899 as the Creswell Colliery and District Band, it rehearsed in the colliery office until the Miners' Welfare opened in 1908 and still carries the colliery's name.
Real-world mining concepts used here
Sources
- (secondary) Creswell Colliery Band — Brass Band Results
- (secondary) Mansfield Building Society supports the next generation of local mining legacy — Mansfield Building Society
- (secondary) Creswell, Derbyshire — Wikipedia
Record created: 19 October 2026 · Last researched: 19 October 2026