Wolstanton Colliery

Overview

A North Staffordshire 'superpit' sunk in 1920, which once held the deepest coal-mining shaft in western Europe after a major 1950s-60s reconstruction merged it underground with two neighbouring collieries — later connected to Chatterley Whitfield too, before closing in 1986 in the aftermath of the miners' strike.

History

Wolstanton Colliery was sunk in 1920, financed by a group of local pottery manufacturers, with two shafts. A major reconstruction scheme carried out between 1951 and 1964 merged Wolstanton underground with the neighbouring Sneyd and Hanley Deep collieries, deepening the No. 2 shaft to 1,140 yards — at the time the deepest coal-mining shaft in western Europe — and earning the pit its nickname, the 'Superpit' of the North Staffordshire coalfield.

In 1963 Wolstanton became the first colliery in the National Coal Board's West Midlands Division to mine a million tons of coal in a single calendar year. In 1975 it was connected underground with the neighbouring Chatterley Whitfield Colliery (see MineArchive's own record), by then also part of the same combined workings. The colliery never recovered from the 1984-85 miners' strike and closed in 1986; the site was later demolished and is now occupied by a retail park.

Geology

Coal Measures of the North Staffordshire (Potteries) coalfield, worked at exceptional depth for the district following the 1950s-60s underground consolidation with Sneyd and Hanley Deep.

Workings

Twin-shaft colliery deepened and interconnected underground with Sneyd and Hanley Deep collieries during 1951-64 reconstruction, and later linked underground with Chatterley Whitfield in 1975; No. 2 shaft reached 1,140 yards.

Closure

Closed in 1986 having never recovered from the 1984-85 miners' strike; later demolished.

What remains

The colliery site was demolished after closure; a retail park now occupies the main part of the former site.

Related mines

• Chatterley Whitfield Colliery — Connected underground in 1975 as part of the same combined workings; Chatterley Whitfield's museum closure in 1993 followed rising groundwater after Wolstanton's own pump shutdown.
• Sneyd Colliery — Sneyd was linked underground to Wolstanton during the modernisation of the late 1950s and early 1960s; after the 1942 explosion its coal was increasingly wound at Wolstanton, and when winding ceased at Sneyd in July 1962 the remaining men transferred there.

Recorded claims

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

• The colliery was sunk in 1920, financed by a group of local pottery manufacturers, with two shafts. ^1,2
• A reconstruction scheme carried out between 1951 and 1964 merged Wolstanton underground with the Sneyd and Hanley Deep collieries, deepening the No. 2 shaft to 1,140 yards, at the time the deepest coal-mining shaft in western Europe. ^1,2
• In 1963 Wolstanton became the first colliery in the NCB's West Midlands Division to mine a million tons of coal in a single calendar year. ²
• In 1975 Wolstanton was connected underground with the neighbouring Chatterley Whitfield Colliery. ¹
• The colliery never recovered from the 1984-85 miners' strike and closed in 1986; the site was later demolished and is now a retail park. ²

Sources

1. (secondary) Wolstanton Colliery — Staffordshire Past Track
2. (secondary) A History of Wolstanton Colliery — North Staffordshire Mining Group

Record created: 28 August 2026 · Last researched: 28 August 2026