The Museum is open Wednesday to Sunday, 9.45am-4pm / Free Entry
Following further negotiations with UNISON,industrial action, largely affecting our Underground Tours, is confirmed to take place until Wednesday 8 July 2026. Although Underground Tours will be unavailable during this period, theMuseum Remains Open, and continues to share the important history of coal mining with our visitors. Read the full statement here and FAQs.
Our website will be temporarily unavailable from 8.30am on Monday 2 March while we carry out essential work. It may take up to 24 hours, although we expect it could be completed much sooner. Thank you for your understanding and patience. If you need assistance during the downtime, please contact us by email at info@ncm.org.uk or call 01924 848806
It is dark underground, really dark. So miners needed to bring their light with them. But that came with its own problems. Early lighting methods brought the risk of explosions so creating safe lighting was vital for the development of mining.