Cotgrave Colliery

Overview

One of two entirely new Nottinghamshire collieries of the 1960s. Coal was not proved near Cotgrave until about 1950, and the pit that followed was built with a purpose-made village around it: some 500 experienced mining families were brought in from Radford in 1962 and more from the worked-out pits of the North East four years later, taking the population from about 700 to over 5,000. Its koepe towers and its pithead baths were unusually modern. It closed in 1993-94, and the shafts were filled with concrete.

History

Coal had been looked for near Cotgrave since the early 1900s but none was found until about 1950. The colliery was established in the early 1960s, and with it a large purpose-built housing estate. In 1962 around 500 experienced mineworkers and their families accepted the National Coal Board’s offer of tied new houses, complete with furnishings, to move from the recently closed Radford mine on the north-west side of Nottingham; four years later a similar scheme brought miners from worked-out pits in the North East. Residents recall special meetings being arranged so that the established workforce and the newcomers could understand one another’s dialect — a safety matter underground. The village grew from about 700 people to more than 5,000 within a few years, and many of the North East families stayed. A branch railway with an elevated viaduct was extended from Nottingham over the River Trent past Radcliffe on Trent to serve the colliery, and its coal went to Ratcliffe on Soar power station. The pit was owned by the National Coal Board from 1955 and by British Coal from 1987.

Geology

The Nottinghamshire coalfield, at a depth and distance that made it a genuinely new venture: nothing was proved here until about 1950. On closure it was reported that the seams held millions of tons of reserves but of insufficient quality; local accounts instead blame geological faults, an encounter with a subterranean stream and consequent flooding, and the growing distance of the faces from the shaft.

Workings

A modern shaft colliery with koepe towers at the pithead, considered very modern and distinctive against conventional winding-gear headstocks. Face workers had extensive modern changing and shower facilities — a departure from traditional colliery conditions — so that they could leave as clean as they arrived. A dedicated branch railway carried the coal to Ratcliffe on Soar power station.

Closure

Closed in 1993-94, devastating the local economy and causing lasting bitterness. Like most Nottinghamshire pits Cotgrave had worked through the 1984-85 strike. The stated reason was that the remaining reserves were of insufficient quality; residents point instead to faulting, an underground stream and flooding, and the increasing distance of the workings from the shaft. The shafts were filled with concrete and all the buildings demolished.

What remains

The shafts are filled with concrete and every colliery building has been demolished.

None.

Nearby mines

• Gedling Colliery — 9.7 km N
• Babbington Colliery — 14.3 km NW

Straight-line distance, within 15 km. Show on the map.

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• Exploration near Cotgrave had been attempted since the early 1900s but no coal was found in the area until about 1950. The colliery was established in the early 1960s, one of two new Nottinghamshire collieries of that decade alongside Bevercotes. ¹
• In 1962 around 500 experienced mineworkers and their families accepted the National Coal Board’s offer of tied new houses, complete with furnishings, to move from the recently closed Radford mine; four years later a similar scheme attracted miners from worked-out mines in the North East. The village grew from about 700 people to over 5,000 within a few years. ¹
• Residents record that special meetings were arranged so that the established workforce and the newcomers could understand one another’s dialect, for safety reasons. ¹
• The koepe towers at the pithead were considered very modern and distinctive compared with other winding-gear towers, and face workers had extensive modern changing and shower facilities so that they could leave as clean as they entered. ¹
• On closure it was reported that the seams held millions of tons of reserves but of insufficient quality. Local residents instead recount geological faults, the encounter of a subterranean stream and subsequent flooding, and the growing distance of the seam face from the shaft, which drastically increased the cost of bringing coal to the surface. (disputed) ¹

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) Cotgrave Colliery History — Cotgrave Colliery (community heritage project)
2. (primary) Cotgrave Colliery, Nottinghamshire — records of the National Coal Board, South Nottinghamshire Area — The National Archives

Record created: 8 September 2026 · Last researched: 8 September 2026