Apedale Heritage Centre — Attraction in Newcastle-under-Lyme

Extended Mine Tour Myself and a friend are both ex Miners and thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Started the experience with a brew in the canteen, a short safety video, then the Lamphouse, gloves and kneepads donned, checks put in and off we went. Charlie our guide, has a wealth of knowledge in coal mining, local history, geology and puts all this across in an entertaining manner. Whether you have some understanding of mining or none at all, Charlie communicates everything in an easy way to comprehend and questions are encouraged. There are regular stops during the tour to catch your breath (have 5) for us old uns, when Charlie will regale the group with another tale. I recommend the gloves and knee pads they offer for the tour as it is a wet clay floor in several places and there is some crawling in low parts. For ex Colliers they will understand when I say the smell of the pit is recognisable, particularly in the return airways. A 2 hour tour was closer to 2.5 hours, yet time flew by. A small, manageable group of 6 meant nobody missed out on anything. One thing that struck a chord with me was when Charlie mentioned he'd asked his Grandsons about coal and they hadn't got a clue what he was talking about. 2 generations and our proud history is in danger of being forgotten. Charlie soon put that right and they both thoroughly enjoyed it too, particularly their lasting piece of memorabilia, Charlie will explain that part when you visit. We also had a look in the surface gallery, this used to be the Training Gallery at Kellingley Colliery, which was transported to Apedale and rebuilt a few years ago. This can be viewed by people unable to go underground, it's suitable for wheelchair access. There is also a canteen with an excellent choice of food and a welcome brew after your shift. We shall definitely be returning, as we hadn't factored in enough time to go around the well stocked museum. The Volunteers and trustees are doing an amazing job of keeping our proud heritage alive, can't recommend this experience highly enough. For those with children, pick a weekend when the steam trains are running and make...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Powerful Day of Reflection and Discovery

We visited Apedale Heritage Centre as a group of men from our local church in Shavington, and it turned out to be far more than just a day out—it was a deeply humbling experience.

We arrived early to prepare for the coal mine tour, and the on-site restaurant was a welcome surprise. A few of us hadn’t had breakfast, so we tucked into a hearty meal before the session began. The food was genuinely good and set the tone for what was to come.

The coal mine tour itself was an eye-opener. Walking through the tunnels and hearing the stories of the miners gave us a profound appreciation for the grit and sacrifice of those who worked underground to provide for their families. Seeing the heavy equipment they carried and learning how many tons of coal had to be mined just to earn a decent day’s pay—it was sobering.

The guides were knowledgeable and passionate, walking us through the mining process and the health and safety measures that were in place. It wasn’t just informative—it was emotional. We left with a renewed respect for the men who laboured in those conditions, and a deeper sense of gratitude.

Highly recommend this experience for anyone looking to connect with the region’s industrial heritage and reflect on the strength of character it took...

Poor quality food and drink in the cafe and an over zealous approach to covid mitigations made the visiting experience not the best! On entering the centre, I stopped to assess the arrangements in place and ascertain where I had to put on my mask. At that time masks were not a generic requirement in cafes though I appreciated some cafes would ask for them. Before I even had chance to work this out I was pounced on. And asked if I had a mask to which I said yes and immediately started to pull it out of my bag to put it on. Before I had even got it part way out, I was sternly told to put my mask on, despite it being obvious I was already in the process of doing so. I politely asked the gentleman to give me a moment and I would soon have it on. Whilst continuing to put it on, I then received a lecture and told to put my mask on. I again politely asked him to give me a moment. Clearly over zealous. However I left him to his little moment of power and entered the cafe now fully masked. I then asked for a tea and coffee and a cheese sandwich and got what amounted to warm dish water, cardboard and plastic and a luke warm service. Such a disappointing experience. Not overly bothered as I'm thick skinned but it's a shame that people still can't be asked to provide a sensible...