Pensford Colliery

Overview

A 20th-century Somerset coalfield colliery sunk in 1909 to work the deeper Pensford syncline alongside its older sister pit Bromley, closed in 1955, whose tall chimney is the coalfield's most visible surviving landmark.

History

Pensford Colliery was sunk in 1909 by the newly formed Pensford and Bromley Collieries Ltd, specifically to exploit the deeper seams of the Pensford syncline, complementing the company's existing, shallower Bromley Colliery nearby; its surface buildings stood northeast of Stanton Wick in Stanton Drew parish, while its underground workings extended into the neighbouring parishes of Publow and Pensford. The pit was equipped with modern coal cutters, a red-brick winding-gear house, pithead baths for the miners and a coal-washing plant, and by 1947 was producing some 70,000 tons of coal a year. Ownership passed, alongside Bromley, to Pensford and Bromley Collieries (1921) Ltd from 1921; by 1910 the pit employed 30 men underground and 70 on the surface, a workforce that grew to 127 underground and 30 on the surface by 1923 as underground development caught up with the shaft's own greater depth. Pensford closed in 1955, two years before its sister pit Bromley.

Workings

Worked the deeper seams of the Pensford syncline, equipped with modern coal cutters, a pithead baths and a coal-washing plant.

Closure

Closed in 1955, two years before its sister pit Bromley.

What remains

The colliery's tall brick chimney still stands near the village, the most visible surviving relic of the Somerset coalfield in an otherwise pastoral landscape.

The colliery chimney.

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.

• Pensford Colliery was sunk in 1909 by the newly formed Pensford and Bromley Collieries Ltd specifically to exploit the deeper seams of the Pensford syncline, complementing the company's existing, shallower Bromley Colliery; its surface buildings stood northeast of Stanton Wick while its underground workings extended into Publow and Pensford parishes. ¹
• The pit was equipped with modern coal cutters, pithead baths and a coal-washing plant, producing some 70,000 tons of coal a year by 1947; its workforce grew from 30 underground and 70 on the surface in 1910 to 127 underground and 30 on the surface by 1923. ²

Sources

1. (secondary) Mining and quarrying in Somerset (South West Heritage Trust) — South West Heritage Trust
2. (secondary) Bromley Colliery (Durham Mining Museum, via Pensford and Bromley Collieries (1921) Ltd company page) — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 31 August 2026 · Last researched: 31 August 2026