Colliery Buildings

Between opening in 1832 and its closure in 1983 the colliery underwent many changes. Greater mechanisation of mining since the 1940s caused the site to develop and grow and it now has an interesting mix of industrial buildings from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Some important buildings were demolished after the colliery closed, especially the coal washing and screening sheds. Much of what has survived is now very rare and parts of the site were designated as a scheduled ancient monument in 1998.

New Boiler House, 1979
The boiler house provided power for the site. This replaced the old boiler house that was positioned behind the winding house. Before 1964 the winding engines for the shafts were steam powered, but were then replaced by electric engines.
Winding House, c.1864
This building housed the winding engine for the tandem shaft headgear. It was built in the 1860s but it has undergone many alterations since.
Signal Box, 1907
This signal box is not part of the original mine. It formerly stood at the level crossing on Hotel Street in the centre of Coalville and after 78 years it was moved to Snibston in 1985 for preservation.
Cable Shop, 1950s - 60s
Spare cables for winding men and coal up the mine shafts were stored in the cable shop. This work was so important that cables were replaced regularly before excessive wear could occur.
Tandem Shaft Headgear, 1942
The shafts this headgear stands above are nicknamed ‘Smokey’ and ‘Rider’. They were dug in 1832 when George Stephenson started this colliery. The structure above the shafts was originally timber but was replaced with steel in 1942. This design of headgear is rare as the wheels are arranged back to back, rather than side by side. The brick structure around the base was built in the 1960s.
Fan House, 1977
This building sucked air through the mine. It is a prototype design which aimed to reduce the noise of the fan machinery. Its success at Snibston led to many other similar fan houses being built.
Light Tower, c.1964
This tower is a lone reminder of the large coal preparation plant that existed in the foreground between 1964 and 1983.
'Stephenson’ Winding House, 1915
This winding house was built to serve the ‘Stephenson’ shaft. In 1964 its steam winding engine was replaced with an electric winder, and an extension was built onto the side of the building to house the extra machinery.
Pithead Baths, 1940
The cost of building these baths was met by the miners themselves, but they were then run and maintained by the colliery. Before the baths were built the miners would have to go leave work dirty and wash at home.
‘Stephenson’ Shaft Headgear, 1915
The ‘Stephenson’ shaft was opened in 1915 to increase coal production during the First World War. After 1964, this shaft was used only to move waste stone and equipment in and out of the mine. The shaft was nicknamed after the colliery’s founder, George Stephenson.
Gantry Bridge, 1964
This gantry was part of a ‘tub-tippler’ system that took wagons of coal and stone from the mine shaft over the rail tracks. Before 1964 a similar system transported coal from the shaft to the washing and screening sheds.
Locomotive Shed, c.1840s
This shed was built in the mid-nineteenth century, but has been altered in many ways since then. This shed housed the locomotives that pulled trains of coal in wagons from the mine to the main line on the far side of Coalville town centre.
Weigh-bridge, c.1964
This building housed the machinery to weigh every wagon of coal as it left the colliery.
Diesel Tank, c.1960s
This was a fuel tank used for the diesel locomotives that shunted coal wagons around the sidings and up to the main line.
Tippler Bay, c.1967
The waste stone brought up the ‘Stephenson’ shaft was dumped here and was then tipped onto the dirt bank.

Colliery Tours

Snibston runs tours of the colliery buildings, led by ex miners who tell their own personal stories of working life underground. For further information click here