MineArchiveElemore Colliery explosion, 1886
Twenty-eight men and boys were killed at Elemore Colliery, Easington Lane, on 2 December 1886 by an explosion of coal dust which the Durham Mining Museum records as having been ignited by shot firing. The colliery, opened in 1827, worked on until 1974.
| Date | 2 December 1886 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Elemore Colliery |
| Region | County Durham |
| Type | Explosion |
| Fatalities | 28 (Twenty-eight men and boys were killed. The Durham Mining Museum lists them among the names of those killed at the colliery.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
An explosion of coal dust, the ignition caused by shot firing.
What happened
Elemore Colliery at Easington Lane, opened in 1827, was one of the older pits of east Durham. On 2 December 1886 an explosion of coal dust, ignited by shot firing, killed twenty-eight men and boys. The colliery continued to work for nearly ninety years afterwards, closing in 1974.
Rescue & recovery
Unknown.
Investigation & inquiry
Unknown.
Memorials & commemoration
Unknown.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- The Durham Mining Museum records the explosion of 2 December 1886 as one of coal dust, the ignition caused by shot firing, with 28 lives lost. 1
- Elemore Colliery at Easington Lane worked from 1827 until 1974. 2
Sources
- (secondary) Elemore Colliery (Durham Mining Museum) — Durham Mining Museum
- (secondary) Elemore Colliery (1827 - 1974) — Co-Curate, Newcastle University
Record created: 17 September 2026 · Last researched: 20 September 2026