Who are we?

We are a group of ex and retired miners, with a passion for preserving and passing on to future generations, the coal mining history of Nottinghamshire. We are a not for profit company, limited by guarantee and a registered charity.

We are entirely voluntary run and our volunteers come from a wide range of backgrounds and professions; from the heroes who worked at the coal face to people within the business and education sectors.  Coal was the bedrock of  our county. Families, businesses and communities were built on it and are still here today. We are moving forward, merging the skills and knowledge of the past with today’s cutting edge technology,  to create a museum experience that is relevant to young people today.  Sharing and remembering the history that connects us, so that we never forget our past and what binds us together.

Why a Nottinghamshire Mining Museum?

  • To preserve for future generations the industrial archaeology of coal mining in Nottinghamshire and present this in an interactive way for the benefit of the local community.
  • To make a positive contribution to our community’s pride in its industrial heritage and to contribute to the ongoing process of community renewal.
  • We believe there is a keen interest in preserving our coal mining heritage, evidenced by over 1000 visitors over 42 days to our last pop up exhibition. If this can be achieved whilst we are only open for specialist exhibitions, imagine what could be possible, when we are open full time with a permanent building.

Association background

In November 2005, the Nottinghamshire NUM Ex & Retired Miners Association was born. Initially set up to offer advice and provide a focus for ex miners to meet socially and talk “pit”.

Almost immediately we began to receive artefacts, photos and miners lamps and all manner of memorabilia.

We had a request from a school in Eastwood inviting us to go and share our coal mining experiences with local children, many of whom would have come from families with a coal mining heritage. An educational opportunity was born. Although we didn’t realise it at the time, this was the start of the Nottinghamshire Mining Museum

Our current home is in the East Unit of Mansfield Railway Station, opposite the Midland Hotel. We open up for pop up exhibitions, which are advertised via our facebook and social media pages.

We aim to open on a more regular basis. We are looking to gain larger, permanent premises, to display and house our extremely large and growing collection of artefacts.

Local people are as keen to have their history preserved and their memories and stories passed on, as the visitors are to hear and see them.