| Administrative History | The colliery was first sunk by J.&G. Wells Limited in 1860 on land leased from the Sitwell family of Renishaw Park. In 1914, J&G Wells abandoned the pit due to flooding. The flooding problem wasn't sorted until a new water pumping system was installed in 1926. It was taken over by the Furnace Hill and Renishaw Park Collieries Limited in 1922. At this time the colliery changed its name to Furnace Hill, to incorporate a nearby drift mine the company worked of the same name. The profits from these were used to fund further water pumping at the shaft mine. These were finally abandoned in 1929 and the site lay dormant until the National Coal Board decided to take it over in 1947. It became part of the East Midlands Division Area No.1 until 1967, when it became part of the North Derbyshire Area. The colliery was closed in 1989. |