Mining communities in places like Northumberland and Durham have a new opportunity to explore their heritage online though a new free digital archive dating back hundreds of years.
Described by the Mining Remediation Authority (MRA) as a major milestone in the preservation of Great Britain’s industrial heritage, the archive gives the public access to thousands of historical coal mining plans.
The collection has been compiled by the MRA and the British Geological Survey (BGS) and, says the MRA, brings together detailed maps and plans from former collieries across England, Scotland and Wales, offering an extraordinary view into the history of local landscapes, mining operations, and the lives of the communities who worked within them.
People can now search, view, and explore these original mining records from any device, from anywhere.
Family history
Geraldine Wildman, digital and information director at the MRA said: “This resource opens a door to the past, providing a valuable historical record of mining activity across Great Britain. The archive includes around 120,000 coal mine plans, some dating back to the 17th century. Despite their age, these plans remain a critical source of intelligence on underground conditions, including the extent and connectivity of coal mine workings.
“For communities built on coal mining, these plans represent family history, shared memory, and a deep-rooted connection to their local area. Making them available ensures that this heritage is preserved and celebrated.”
For many coalfield communities, the online tool represented the first opportunity for people, including the families of miners, to understand how earlier generations shaped the places they live today, said the MRA.
Mine Plans Catalogue
To make the coal mine plans publicly available online, the Authority worked in partnership with the British Geological Survey. Through this shared service, users can search for both coal and non-coal mine plans held by either organisation and view high-quality scans directly in their web browser.
Alison Steven, National Geoscience Date Centre (NGDC) data operations and governance lead at the BGS, said: “The launch of the new mine plans catalogue is a part of wider initiative at BGS to make legacy geological data more accessible. Working alongside the MRA we have brought these plans together into a single…catalogue. This means users can now discover records held by both organisations in one place, making it easier than ever to explore the ground beneath our feet.
“Not only will this help communities reconnect with the stories that shaped their local heritage, but wider access to these plans also supports society’s evolving interests in how the subsurface is used, from the rising demand for geothermal energy installations to the need for robust subsurface data that underpins responsible land use planning decisions.”
The coal mine plans are also available through the MRA’s online map viewer, alongside a wider range of data relating to the nature and extent of mining across Great Britain. This includes specific information to support safe planning and development on the coalfield, data on the potential for mine water heat, and records of historical metal mining in England.
To explore local mining plans, users can search the Interactive Map Viewer or access individual records via the Mine Plans Catalogue.
*This report is based on a press release from the MRA.
