Butterley Colliery Remembered.

Subscribe to my you tube channel for 280+ more coal mine tributes and counting. Butterley Colliery, initially part of the larger Butterley Company, has a rich history tied to coal and iron production in the Ripley area. The Butterley Company, established in 1790 by Benjamin Outram and others, began by extracting coal and ironstone from the Butterley Hall estate. Over time, they expanded into iron manufacturing and established their own collieries to supply their ironworks. Britain Colliery, a key part of their operations, was developed in the mid-1840s and continued to produce coal for over 50 years. The colliery's history also includes a significant strike in 1874, demonstrating the complex relationship between the company and its workforce.Butterley Colliery had multiple shafts sunk at different times, with the first deep mine sunk by the Butterley Company between 1845 and 1848. The colliery complex, which included a model village, was part of the Butterley Company's operations. The colliery closed in 1994.
Timeline of Butterley Colliery:
1827: Gabriel Britain operated a small, shallow mine on the site, which was later developed into a deeper mine.
1845-1848: The Butterley Company sank the first deep mine, extending the original shallow shafts.
1923: The colliery employed 1031 men.
1994: The colliery sadly closed.