Follow in the footsteps and experience the day in the life of a Leicestershire coal miner with a guided tour of the historic Snibston Colliery. The tour led by experienced former miners who will take you through the colliery from the miner collecting his lamps in the lamp room and his tally in the control room, which also monitors the whole pit, to the powder magazine to collect his ‘shot’ i.e. explosives (note no live explosives are used on the tour or kept on site) and onto the pit top and the ‘cage’ ready to go underground as well as the winding house and winder which raises and lowers the cage. The tour also takes in the medical centre, the one room miners’ did not want to experience! The tour is of the surface buildings as it is not possible to go underground at Snibston Colliery.
Although it is not possible to go underground at Snibston visitors are able to experience what the underground working were like in the 'Into the Dark' mine simulation. This is the only such experience in the East Midlands.
The historic colliery, sunk by George Stephenson in 1835 is a schedule monument and is the last surviving ‘modern pit’ of the 1960s/70s.
Tours are £7.00 adults and children under 14 free. The tours are about 1.5 hours long start and finish at the Colliery Café. The tour includes some steps onto the pit top and winding house and sensible shoes are recommended. The tour is suitable for children over the age of 6, but very young children are welcomed. All children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
The colliery is located in the popular and admission free Snibston Colliery Park with a children’s playground, pump track, mountain bike trail, nature trails, fishing, picnic areas, toilets, car parking, Colliery Café and historic colliery buildings and artefacts.
The colliery tours are due to popular demand and are organised by Snibston Heritage Trust in collaboration with Leicestershire County Council.
