The South Staffordshire Coalfield is one of several coalfield

Coalfield

A coalfield is an area of certain uniform characteristics where coal is mined. The criteria for determining the approximate boundary of a coalfield are geographical and cultural, in addition to geological...

s in the English Midlands

English Midlands

The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...

. It stretches for 25 miles / 40km from the Lickey Hills

Lickey Hills

The Lickey Hills are a range of hills in Worcestershire, England, eleven miles to the south-west of the centre of Birmingham near the villages of Lickey and Barnt Green...

 in the south to Rugeley

Rugeley

Rugeley is a historic market town in the county of Staffordshire, England. It lies on the northern edge of Cannock Chase, and is situated roughly midway between the towns of Stafford, Cannock, Lichfield and Uttoxeter...

 in the north. The coalfield is around 10 miles / 16km wide; its eastern and western margins are fault-bounded. Numerous coal seams are recognised within the coalfield - the following coal seams are recognised within the Cannock

Cannock

Cannock is the most populous of three towns in the district of Cannock Chase in the central southern part of the county of Staffordshire in the West Midlands region of England....

section of the coalfield - an area sometimes separately referred to as the Cannock Coalfield;

Middle Coal Measures

• Top Robins
• Bottom Robins
• Charles
• Brooch
• Benches
• Eight Feet
• Park
• Upper/Top Heathen
• Lower/Bottom Heathen

Lower Coal Measures

• Yard
• Bass
• Cinder
• Shallow
• Deep
• Mealy Greys

Within the southern part of the coalfield, fewer seams are recognised due to the 'Benches', 'Eight Feet' and 'Park' seams combining as the 'Thick' whilst the two 'Heathen' seams combine, the 'Yard' and 'Bass' seams combine as the 'New Mine' and the 'Cinder', 'Shallow' and 'Deep' combine as the 'Bottom';

Middle Coal Measures

• Brooch
• Thick
• Heathen

Lower Coal Measures

• New Mine
• Bottom
• ?Mealy Greys