English Coal Mining History at the NCMME
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Pick
© National Coal Mining Museum for England (Photo: National Coal Mining Museum for England)
© National Coal Mining Museum for England (Photo: National Coal Mining Museum for England)
Mining tools are some of the earliest archaeological finds in Britain. Antler picks from sites like Grimes Graves show that the basic design of the miners' cutting tools changed very little in thousands of years, except that the materials improved. Coal was extracted by handwork, using picks and shovels, and there are many of these within the Museum's collections.
Many mining tools today are based on the same principles of early tools but are mechanical rather than being powered by the strength of the miner, although there are some exceptions. Working conditions in certain pits has meant that manual methods still continue, and picks and shovels are still used for many pit jobs. Today most coal is extracted using powerful drilling and cutting machines such as shearers, together with hand-held tools such as pneumatic picks and drills.
There is a whole gallery at the museum called the 'Coal Interface' dedicated to tools and machinery. Visitors can also see large machines such as the shearer on the underground tour.
Many mining tools today are based on the same principles of early tools but are mechanical rather than being powered by the strength of the miner, although there are some exceptions. Working conditions in certain pits has meant that manual methods still continue, and picks and shovels are still used for many pit jobs. Today most coal is extracted using powerful drilling and cutting machines such as shearers, together with hand-held tools such as pneumatic picks and drills.
There is a whole gallery at the museum called the 'Coal Interface' dedicated to tools and machinery. Visitors can also see large machines such as the shearer on the underground tour.