MineArchiveCannock and Leacroft Colliery
| Location | Cannock, Staffordshire — 52.6900, -2.0140 (approximate) |
|---|---|
| Commodity | Coal |
| Type | Coal |
| Worked | 1874–1967 |
| Maximum depth | No reliable depth figure has yet been located. |
| Operators | Mid Cannock Colliery Co. (1875–1915), W. Harrison Ltd (1915–1947), National Coal Board (1947–1967) |
| Status | Researched |
Overview
A Cannock Chase colliery opened as Leacroft in September 1874, merged into Mid Cannock Colliery in 1954, and worked on under that name until 1967; the site now lies beneath the Poplars landfill.
History
Leacroft Colliery was opened in September 1874 on the Cannock Chase coalfield. In September 1954 it was merged with the neighbouring Mid Cannock Colliery, continuing production as a combined operation -- known as Cannock and Leacroft -- until Mid Cannock's own closure in 1967. Mid Cannock itself had passed through several owners over its working life: the Mid Cannock Colliery Co. from 1875, W. Harrison Ltd from 1915, and the National Coal Board following nationalisation in 1947. No source found during this research separately identifies Leacroft's own pre-1954 ownership, distinct from Mid Cannock's better-documented history. The combined site has since been redeveloped, and now lies beneath the Poplars landfill site.
Workings
No reliable detail on the colliery's own specific underground workings has yet been located.
Closure
Closed in 1967 following the merger of Leacroft into Mid Cannock Colliery in 1954.
What remains
The former colliery site now lies beneath the Poplars landfill site.
Abandoned workings can be dangerous — unstable ground, uncapped shafts, flooding and bad air are common even where a site looks safe from the surface. This entry describes history and general location only; it is not an access guide.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- Leacroft Colliery, opened in September 1874, was merged with Mid Cannock Colliery in September 1954; the combined operation closed in 1967. 1
- Mid Cannock Colliery passed from the Mid Cannock Colliery Co. (from 1875) to W. Harrison Ltd (from 1915) and the National Coal Board (from 1947). 2
Photographs & further reading
This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this mine.
The Society's own timeline covering Leacroft's 1874 opening and 1954 merger into Mid Cannock.
View sourceSources
- (primary) Rough Time Line — Cannock Chase Mining History Society
- (secondary) Mid Cannock Colliery, Cannock Chase, Staffordshire — Mindat
Record created: 31 August 2026 · Last researched: 1 September 2026