Become part of history...buy a brick in our historic furnace shaft!

S.O.S! Save our shaft for future generations.

Our historic furnace shaft is believed to be around 130 years old. It is now in need of vital conservation work to ensure its survival. The shaft forms part of our unique underground tour, but is distinct from the main man-riding shaft used to access the tour and take visitors underground. The furnace shaft is inaccessible at present, and we intend to conserve it and provide displays to show how it would once have provided vital ventilation for the pit. Once work is complete, visitors will be able to view the bottom of the furnace shaft and look up 140 metres to the surface.

Conservation of the shaft is just one part of a larger project to revitalise the Museum’s unique underground tour by extending the underground roadways and providing a more interactive visitor experience.

You can make a donation to this vital project either by buying individual (£10 each) or corporate (£100 each) bricks using the buttons below.