Mining Memories was an oral history project which aimed to record the stories of former miners and their relatives from the Limestone Journeys area. Mining was the dominant industry in this area for much of the 19th and 20th centuries, employing thousands of people and forming an extremely important part of the industrial and social history of the region. The project was funded by Limestone Journeys and lead by the Creswell Heritage Trust, a Limestone Journeys partner organisation.

In total 17 individuals who had connections to local mining were interviewed. The recordings provide a fascinating insight into what life was like for coal miners. The interviews cover areas such as; the working conditions in the pits, wages, home life and the social activities available to miners. Another subject touched upon is the Miners’ Strike of 1984-85 which was a very turbulent time for miners that had a huge impact on the family of miners and the area as a whole. There are many stories of defiance in the face of adversity as families struggled with the lack of regular income but also the challenges faced by those who remained at work during the strike.

The recordings are available to listen to YouTube, just follow the link on the resources page of this website. Written transcripts will also soon be available from the library at Creswell Crags and Derbyshire Records Office. They are an invaluable resource that offer a window into this past industry, so whether you were involved in mining, doing research or just interested to learn more, please do give them a listen.

The Creswell Heritage Trust would like to thank everyone who agreed to be interviewed for Mining Memories and for sharing their time and stories with the Trust.

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