epw012828 ENGLAND (1925). Hatfield Main Colliery, Stainforth, 1925. This image has been produced from a copy-negative.

Stainforth Hatfield Main Colliery.

1910–2015



In December 1910 the Hatfield Main Colliery Company was formed by Emerson Bainbridge. On 11 September 1916 the first main shaft was completed, followed on 1 April 1917 by the second shaft. The pit exploited coal from the High Hazel coal seam (see Coal Seams of the South Yorkshire Coalfield).



In January 1927 it was bought by the Carlton Main Colliery Company. In January 1947 it became part of the National Coal Board. In 1967 the Hatfield and Thorne collieries were merged, becoming separate again in February 1978. They were merged again on 1 February 1986. On 18 November 1993, a time of many pit closures, it was announced the combined pit would close, which took place on 3 December 1993, when under ownership of British Coal.



On 4 January 1994, a team from the pit's management announced they wanted to re-open the pit, forming Hatfield Coal Company Ltd on 25 January 1994. The first coal was dug on 7 July 1994. In its first year of operation the company made a profit of £2.4 million.



Hatfield Colliery, near Doncaster, 29th June 2015 closure announced.

One of the last three deep coal mines in the UK is to be closed by the end of the week, wit

h the loss of 430 jobs.

Hatfield Colliery, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire, was due to shut in the summer of 2016 but the move has been brought forward unexpectedly.

Micheal O'Sullivan, spokesman for the colliery, said: "We can't find a market for the coal, so there is no point in producing it."