 Hopewell Colliery Mining Museum | |
  Location within Gloucestershire | |
| Established | 1997 |
|---|---|
| Location | Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, England |
| Coordinates | 51°47′59″N 2°34′42″W / 51.799745°N 2.578287°W |
| Type | Working coal mine and museum |
Hopewell Colliery is a working freemine and visitor attraction in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England. It has been described as one of the 'must do' attractions in the area.
History
editHopewell Colliery opened in 1823 and has used at least three different adits to reach the coal seam. It was closed when the Hilton Brothers took it over in 1965 and, at the time of their retirement in 1989, it had been reopened and closed several more times. Hopewell Colliery, and neighbouring Phoenix Colliery, were bought by freeminer Robin Morgan in 1992. The two are seperate mines, but are connected underground. Some of the surface buildings at Hopewell Colliery were converted to a museum and café, and some of the underground workings were opened to the public in 1997.[1]
Present day operations
editMining
editCurrent mining operations focus on the Yorkley Seam, with average heights of 2½ feet. An electric cutter is used to undercut the coal, which is then brought down using pneumatic picks. Wooden props are used to support the roof and all coal is moved by shovels. Most coal comes to the surface at the phoenix side of the complex and is wound out of the drift entrance in half ton tubs and sorted in the on-site tipper and mechanisms.
Museum
editThe museum and underground trips operate during school holidays and at other times by prior arrangement.
Facilities include;
- Guided underground tours
- Free car park
- Free admission to cafeteria
- Shop
- Surface museum
- Picnic areas
See also
edit- Forest of Dean Coalfield.
- Freeminer - The ancient title given to coal and iron miners in the Forest of Dean.
- New Fancy - Former spoil tip, now a viewpoint.
- Clearwell Caves - Iron mine in near-by Clearwell.
- Bixslade - Notable area of mineral extraction in the Forest of Dean.
Future operations
editBetween 1999 and 2003 Robin Morgan dug a new drift entrance at the Hopewell Colliery site, in order to open up new areas of coal reserves in the Yorkley Seam. Mining operations are expected to start later this year.
