Bersham Colliery

Bersham Colliery Mining Museum


Useful Information

Location: Rhostyllen, Wrexham, North Wales. A483 exit B5605/Rhosllanerchrugog, take the A5152 towards Rhostyllen and Erddig, first turn right signposted for Bersham Enterprise Centre and Farmworld. Headgear visible on the left after 200 m.
Open: On special open days.
After appointment for groups.
[2007]
Fee:
Classification: MineCoal Mine
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address: Bersham Colliery, Rhostyllen, Wrexham, North Wales, GB Bersham Heritage Centre, Bersham, Wrexham, LL14 4HT, Tel: +44-1978 261 529, Fax: +44-1978 361 703. E-mail: contact
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1868 mine opened, sinking of first shaft.
1880 an explosion kills 9 miners.
1930 wooden headframe of No. 2 Shaft destryed by fire and replaced by iron headframe.
1986 closed with a loss of 480 jobs.
2001 museum opened.

Geology

The Denbighshire Coalfield extends from Oswestry to north of Wrexham. At Bersham the coal seam lies 387 m below ground. Actually there are several coal seams, which were mined from a thickness of 65cm on. The Wrexham-Staffordshire fault made the situation complicated, as seams ended at the fault.

Description

The Bersham Colliery Mining Museum is located on the site of the former Bersham Colliery. It is easy to find, as the headgear, the last still standing in the North Wales coalfield, is visible from far away. It was restored with funds from the Heritage Lottery Fund for Wales. The headgear may be visited at all times, as it is easily visible, but the site is fenced in for security. The museum exhibition is located in the former engine house of the mine. It shows pictures, lamps and other mining gear, and memorabilia. There is no underground tour.

The colliery worked from the mid 19th century, boomed with the increasing demand for coal and energy, had its heyday around the turn of the century, and was closed in the 1980s. So it was working for about 120 years. It was opened by the Barnes family from Liverpool, who owned it for generations. The collieries in the coal field, influenced the economy of the area, provided jobs for hundreds of people, and transformed Wrexham from a market town into the industrial centre for North-East Wales. At one time 38 collieries were working in the coal field, employing 12,000 men and production 2.6 million tons of coal annually. Most of the coal was needed by the local iron industry and the brick, tile and terracotta works of Abenbury and Ruabon.

The iron headgear was moved to this shaft in 1930 after a fire destroyed the former timber-built headgear. It was necessary to lift the coal up and lowered and lifted men and equipment. The lift cage was pulled with a steel cabel, running over big wheels in the headframe, by an electric winding machine which is located in the brick building next to the headgear.