Sharlston Colliery

Overview

A West Yorkshire colliery that grew a whole new village around it, worked for well over a century until 1993, its salvaged pit wheel now split in two and standing at either end of the quiet road that runs through Sharlston today.

History

Sharlston Colliery opened in 1858, with its shafts sunk in 1865, and grew to become one of four large-scale collieries operating within three kilometres of the village of Sharlston during the industrial period. The new settlement of New Sharlston grew up specifically to house its workforce. Accounts of the colliery's later employment vary: one source records around 1,000 miners in 1984, while another gives a peak of around 2,200 men working chiefly the Top Haigh Moor seam — both figures are presented here rather than silently picking one, since neither source clarifies which period each count covers. The colliery closed in July 1993, one of the final wave of pit closures that ended deep coal mining across most of Yorkshire; its site has since reverted to agricultural land. One of the colliery's pithead wheels was salvaged after closure, sliced in two, and the pieces placed at either end of the road running through the now-quiet village.

Workings

Shafts sunk in 1865, chiefly working the Top Haigh Moor seam in the colliery's later years.

Closure

Closed in July 1993; the site has since reverted to agricultural land.

What remains

The former colliery site has reverted to agricultural land.

One of the colliery's salvaged pithead wheels was sliced in two, with the pieces placed as a memorial at either end of the road running through the village.

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.

• Sharlston Colliery opened in 1858, with its shafts sunk in 1865. ¹
• One source records around 1,000 miners employed in 1984; another gives a peak of around 2,200 men working chiefly the Top Haigh Moor seam. Neither source clarifies which period each figure covers. (uncertain) ²
• The colliery closed in July 1993; its site has since reverted to agricultural land. ^1,2
• One of the colliery's pithead wheels was salvaged, sliced in two, and the pieces placed at either end of the road running through the village. ²

Sources

1. (secondary) Sharlston's History — Sharlston Parish Council
2. (secondary) No regrets in new Sharlston — Morning Star

Record created: 27 August 2026 · Last researched: 27 August 2026