Hatfield Colliery

About The
Hatfield Colliery

For centuries this river has shaped life in the Don Valley. Long before the pit wheels turned at Hatfield Main, these waters powered mills, irrigated farmland, and carried goods through the region.

But in the twentieth century, Hatfield would become known for something else entirely - coal.

Hatfield Main Colliery opened in 1916, during the First World War, when Britain urgently needed fuel for ships, railways, and industry. Thousands of miners came here to work underground, carving tunnels through seams of coal that had formed over 300 million years ago.

The pit would grow into one of South Yorkshire’s major coal mines. For generations of families, Hatfield wasn’t just a workplace -it was the heartbeat of the community.

Today, the landscape around you tells a different story. Former industrial land has become woodland, lakes, and wildlife habitats.

But as you walk, the memory of the pit — and the people who worked there — is never far away.