This page lists some of the coal mines in Swannington and nearby villages.
Swannington Coal Mines
Coal mines within the current or former boundaries of Swannington.
Coleorton No 2 (Califat) 1853-1873
Colliery Owners – Benjamin Walker and William Worswick.
Location – Califat Spinney, St George’s Hill, Swannington.
Silver Hill approx 1690-1720
Colliery Owner – John Wilkins of Ravenstone Hall.
Location – Near the extension to Burtons Lane. Land owned by Cuckoo Gap.
Snibston No 3 1850-1880 and 1892-1895
Colliery Owners – Snibston Colliery Company
Location – Spring Lane, Swannington. Colliery House and donkey sheds area owned by Swannington Heritage Trust.
Raper and Fenton Mine
Colliery Owners – John Raper and William Fenton
Note – In use at the time of William Jessop’s 1794 tramway to the Charnwood Forest Canal.
Location – North side of Limby Hall Lane. Now a small woodland owned by Wyggeston Hospital Trust. See Steve Picker’s LeiceExplore Raper and Fenton Mine and Califat Colliery video on YouTube.
Swannington No 1 (Calcutta) 1853-1877
Colliery Owner – William Worswick, who leased the coal measures from Wyggeston Hospital on the 31st December 1852 and began sinking the shafts in 1853.
Subsequent Usage – Calcutta Pumping Station 1877-1986.
Location – Talbot Lane, Swannington. Now owned by Roshal Space Consultants.
Swannington No 2 (Sinope) 1861-1877, 1891-1894, 1900-1902
Colliery Owner – for the main period of operation 1861-1877 William Worswick.
Subsequent Operation – 1891-1894 by Cox and Turner
Subsequent Operation 1900-1902 by the Snibston Colliery Company.
Location – Ashby Road, Sinope, Swannington, next to the Leicester and Swannington Railway. Now a park homes site.
Swannington No 3 (Clink) 1861-1877
Colliery Owner – William Worswick.
Location – Clink Lane, Swannington (note, Clink Lane was blocked under the railway line. It is opposite the Station Inn on Hough Hill, on private land.)
Coleorton Coal Mines
Bursulem’s Colliery
Location – North side of the A512 Ashby to Loughborough Road, to the west of the George Inn.
Coleorton No 1 (California) 1849-1873
Colliery Owners – Benjamin Walker and William Worswick.
Location – The playing field on Zion Hill, opposite the New Inn. There was also a brickworks at the site. Now owned by Coleorton Parish Council.
At the beginning of February 1853 Henry Watson and Joseph Horn died when the cage in which they were ascending tipped to one side and they fell to the bottom. Read the Leicester Chronicle report 5th February 1853
In April 1854 pony driver, Robert Lakin aged 14, was killed by a stone. Read the Leicester Chronicle report 22nd April 1854
Coleorton No 3 (Bug and Wink) 1875-1933
Colliery Owners – G Checkland & Co.
Location – Coleorton Wood, Pitt Lane, Coleorton. Now owned by Coleorton Parish Council.
Paddock Colliery 18th century
Note – In use at the time of William Jessop’s 1794 tramway to the Charnwood Forest Canal.
Location – North side of what is now the A512 Ashby to Loughborough Road, opposite the former Coleorton Hall fish ponds.
Coalville
Snibston No 1 1831
Colliery Owners – Snibston Colliery Company (originally owned by George Stephenson, Sir Joshua Walmsley, Joseph Sanders)
Colliery Location – Behind the Springboard Centre and library.
Snibston No 2 1833-1983
Colliery Owners – Snibston Colliery Company.
Location – Snibston Discovery Park, Chilswell Drive, Coalville.
Whitwick 1825-1986
Colliery Owners – William Stenson
Location – Whitwick Retail Park, Hermitage Road, Coalville.