A fascinating set of photographs showing how the North Staffordshire Coalfield has changed and developed over the last century.

The North Staffordshire Coalfield is concentrated around the Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme areas, with a small outlying area around Leek and Cheadle. During the Industrial Revolution coal from the area fired the Potteries’ ceramics and iron industries.

At its peak, fifty pits were working in the area but as the coal industry declined nationally, pits gradually merged or closed in the post-war years. Closures accelerated following the Miners’ Strike in the 1980s and the last deep mine, Silverdale, closed in 1998. Today, most of the sites have been reclaimed, including a nature reserve at Chatterley Whitfield.

This fascinating selection of old and new images of the North Staffordshire Coalfield will be essential reading for all those who know the area or have family members who worked in the local coal mining industry.