Kingsbury Colliery
Encyclopedia
Kingsbury Colliery was a coal mine in Kingsbury
, Warwickshire
which operated between 1897 and 1968.
It was opened in 1897 and changed the nature of the village almost overnight from a predominantly agriculturally based community to a mining village, and helped Kingsbury's expansion. Coal extracted from Kingsbury Colliery was used mainly for industry in nearby Birmingham
, although the Lurghi Gas Plant at Coleshill
was also a major customer.
The colliery operated throughout the first half of the 20th century, and in 1904 the village of Piccadilly
was built close by to house some of the mine's workers. Following the pit's closure in 1968, some of the land was used for the construction of the Kingsbury Oil Terminal
.
In 2009 a memorial wall was built in Piccadilly
to remember those who worked in both Kingsbury Culliery, and the neighbouring Dexter Colliery. The wall contains the names of all the miners who worked at both mines. The centrepiece of the wall is a miner's lamp
that is always lit to commemorate those who have died and those who remember working down the mines.
.
Kingsbury, Warwickshire
Kingsbury is a large village and civil parish in the North Warwickshire district of the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of England....
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
which operated between 1897 and 1968.
It was opened in 1897 and changed the nature of the village almost overnight from a predominantly agriculturally based community to a mining village, and helped Kingsbury's expansion. Coal extracted from Kingsbury Colliery was used mainly for industry in nearby Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, although the Lurghi Gas Plant at Coleshill
Coleshill, Warwickshire
Coleshill is a market town in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England, taking its name from the River Cole. It has a population of 6,343 and is situated east of Birmingham.-Location:...
was also a major customer.
The colliery operated throughout the first half of the 20th century, and in 1904 the village of Piccadilly
Piccadilly, Warwickshire
Piccadilly is a small Village in the North Warwickshire district of the county of Warwickshire in England. It is located near to the larger village of Kingsbury, and is four miles south of Tamworth.-History:...
was built close by to house some of the mine's workers. Following the pit's closure in 1968, some of the land was used for the construction of the Kingsbury Oil Terminal
Kingsbury Oil Terminal
Kingsbury Oil Terminal is an oil storage depot located to the northeast of the village of Kingsbury, Warwickshire, England. It was opened in the late 1960s and serves the Midlands region. It is the largest inland oil storage depot in the United Kingdom. The main operators at the site are BP,...
.
In 2009 a memorial wall was built in Piccadilly
Piccadilly, Warwickshire
Piccadilly is a small Village in the North Warwickshire district of the county of Warwickshire in England. It is located near to the larger village of Kingsbury, and is four miles south of Tamworth.-History:...
to remember those who worked in both Kingsbury Culliery, and the neighbouring Dexter Colliery. The wall contains the names of all the miners who worked at both mines. The centrepiece of the wall is a miner's lamp
Davy lamp
The Davy lamp is a safety lamp with a wick and oil vessel burning originally a heavy vegetable oil, devised in 1815 by Sir Humphry Davy. It was created for use in coal mines, allowing deep seams to be mined despite the presence of methane and other flammable gases, called firedamp or minedamp.Sir...
that is always lit to commemorate those who have died and those who remember working down the mines.
Notable employees
Notable people who have worked at the colliery include the footballer Sid IrelandSid Ireland
Sidney "Sid" Ireland was an English professional footballer who played as a left-back, spending most of his career with Southampton.-Football career:...
.