Visited in 2023. Ayle is the last working coal mine in the North of England, Coal is mined from an 18 inch seam with Air picks but a Slusher box and undercutter are used when conditions allow.

On the main site there is one drift used for air intake/haulage/manway. Haulage is done by a small Clayton battery locomotive which brings the empty mine carts and takes the full ones out. Upon entering the mine there is a good 10 minute walk passing all the previous districts which are now sealed off.

There is then a junction area with a room for eating dinner and a siding to store the empty tubs and loco.

There is around 10 people working at the time, each collier has his own heading which he works on alone. The coal is totally extracted and stone is used to pack the space between the wall and the roof. The stone comes from a ‘sump’ which has been dug out to allow to mine car to fit up the heading to where the miner is working.

Once on the suface the coal is put through a sorting plant before being loaded into cutes by JCB to allow it to be weighed and bagged.

On the surface there is plenty of spare track lying about, spare mine carts, around 20 locomotive remains which are used for parts.

There is a workshop used for repairing tools and making track compenents. Also on site is a shower block which turns everything black the second you get out of the shower.

The facebook page below has some excellent videos of men at work in the mine.

1945-Present Ayle Colliery Co. Ltd

The current drift (no6) was opened in 1982 and works the Little Limestone Seam.

Working mine, access by prior arrangement only.