The
Colliery was originally established in the
1860’s when opening of Biddulph railway led
to the re-opening of shafts so that coal could
be used for iron working. The Chatterley
Whitfield Iron Company acquired leasehold of
Whitfield Colliery in 1872 to obtain suitable
coal for three blast furnaces. Between its
closure and 1993 the colliery was a working
museum, and the area is currently undergoing an English Heritage
sponsored regeneration programme. The site
still has many original features; the oldest
surviving structure is dated 1883. A stack of
1891 and 1920-1930’s winding gear remain.
There are some restrictions on access to the
Chatterley Whitfield site because the
site is currently under re-development, but
conducted tours are sometimes available.
Contact
Chatterley Whitfield Project Co-ordinator Alec
Morrison on 01782 232152 for details.
