THE HISTORY OF MINING AT APEDALE…

THE HISTORY OF MINING AT APEDALE…

Apedale Mine has a long coal- mining history. The pit lies in an area where there was mining for well over 200 years. It helped pioneer the modern form of retreat mining in Staffordshire.

It was worked by the National Coal Board (NCB) until 1969.

In May 1968, Apedale hit the headlines with a weekly productivity record of 161.9 cwt per manshift.

During the year ending March 1969, it became one of the few pits in Britain to average over five tons a manshift over 12 months. It employed 100 men when it closed on November 21, 1969.

Private owners later took over the pit. In 1996, Aurora Mining operated the mine and three of the former seven drifts were open. Apedale closed in 1999 after pumping was stopped at nearby Silverdale Colliery.

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