Daw Mill
Encyclopedia
Daw Mill is a coal mine located near the village of Arley
(nr Coventry
) in the English county of Warwickshire
. The mine is Britain's biggest coal producer, mining a five-metre thick section of the Warwickshire Coalfield
(known as the Warwickshire Thick) in the north of the county. It is owned and operated by UK Coal
and currently employs 680 people.
The shafts that serve Daw Mill Colliery were first sunk between 1956 and 1959 and 1969 and 1971 respectively. The mine is a natural extension of the former colliery at Kingsbury
and Dexter Colliery in Hurley
, both of which have since closed. In 1983 an inclined tunnel linking underground workings with the surface was completed. Known as a drift, this enabled Daw Mill to increase its production capacity as it removed the often time consuming process of winding coal up the shafts.
Daw Mill is the last surviving mine in a county that once had 20 operating collieries. In 2008 the mine excavated record 3.25 million tons of coal beating a 13-year-old record for annual output set at Selby
, North Yorkshire
.
Arley, Warwickshire
Arley is a civil parish in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England. The parish includes two settlements, New Arley and Old Arley. Old Arley is to the west of the Bourne Brook and the railway line, and New Arley is to the east....
(nr Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
) in the English county of Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
. The mine is Britain's biggest coal producer, mining a five-metre thick section of the Warwickshire Coalfield
Warwickshire Coalfield
The Warwickshire Coalfield extends between Warwick and Tamworth in the English Midlands. It is about 40km / 25 miles from north to south and its width is around half that distance. Its western margin is defined by the 'Western Boundary Fault'. In the northeast it abuts against steeply dipping...
(known as the Warwickshire Thick) in the north of the county. It is owned and operated by UK Coal
UK Coal
UK Coal plc is the largest coal mining business in the United Kingdom. The Company is based in Harworth, in Nottinghamshire. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a former constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
and currently employs 680 people.
The shafts that serve Daw Mill Colliery were first sunk between 1956 and 1959 and 1969 and 1971 respectively. The mine is a natural extension of the former colliery at Kingsbury
Kingsbury Colliery
Kingsbury Colliery was a coal mine in Kingsbury, Warwickshire which operated between 1897 and 1968.It was opened in 1897 and changed the nature of the village almost overnight from a predominantly agriculturally based community to a mining village, and helped Kingsbury's expansion...
and Dexter Colliery in Hurley
Hurley, Warwickshire
Hurley is a village in Warwickshire, England. It is located in the North Warwickshire district of the county, close to the village of Kingsbury and is part of the civil parish of its neighbour...
, both of which have since closed. In 1983 an inclined tunnel linking underground workings with the surface was completed. Known as a drift, this enabled Daw Mill to increase its production capacity as it removed the often time consuming process of winding coal up the shafts.
Daw Mill is the last surviving mine in a county that once had 20 operating collieries. In 2008 the mine excavated record 3.25 million tons of coal beating a 13-year-old record for annual output set at Selby
Selby
Selby is a town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. Situated south of the city of York, along the course of the River Ouse, Selby is the largest and, with a population of 13,012, most populous settlement of the wider Selby local government district.Historically a part of the West Riding...
, North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
.
External links
- UK Coal profile of Daw Mill
- A Profile of Daw Mill Colliery
- Cutting edge information from deep underground, document about Daw Mill Colliery