Museum of Science and Industry

People in Britain have been using coal for many centuries, since at least as far back as the Roman period. However, it was not until the sixteenth century that coal became an important fuel. It was used in increasing quantities from the eighteenth century, becoming the essential fuel of the Industrial Revolution.

The opening of the Bridgewater Canal through to Manchester in 1765 sparked the exploitation of coalfields in the local area. This canal was built to carry coal mined at Worsley to the centre of Manchester, thus feeding the industrial growth of the City.

Before mechanisation, coal was removed by pick and shovel alone, with explosives being introduced from around 1800. From the mid-twentieth century, machinery became more commonly used, powered by electricity and compressed air. Coal mining reached its peak in the twentieth century. In the Manchester area, production was decreasing by the 1950s and there are no longer any working pits.