Snibston Colliery Park

Facilities

Other

• Uncover the story - If you’re looking for fun for all the family, you won’t have to dig too deep at Snibston Colliery Park – this former mining site, once out of bounds to the public, is now a visitor-friendly haven. <hr> Agricultural land for centuries, it was George Stephenson, ‘Father of Railways’, who saw Snibston’s potential. Primarily here to build a railway, he snapped up Snibston estate when valuable coal reserves were uncovered. In 1832, he founded No. 1 and No. 2 pits, and, in his own words, embarked upon ‘the most profitable enterprise I ever took’. <hr> Mined for more than 150 years, the final lump of coal surfaced at Snibston No. 2 Colliery in 1983. It closed three years later, when sister pits Whitwick and South Leicester Collieries also shut. <hr> The story of these lost pits was chronicled in 1992, when the site was regenerated and became a museum. A further regeneration project in 2020 saw Snibston Colliery Park created, preserving its history forever. <hr> Visitors are greeted by rare surviving colliery buildings and machinery, and these designated scheduled monuments form the Snibston Heritage Trail. <hr> There’s no going underground today, but with so much going on at ground level, surrounded by the beauty of the National Forest, you’ll be glad to be in the fresh air. As well as a playground and café, dotted around the site are impressive contemporary art sculptures. <hr> Take a peaceful walk around Grange Nature Reserve with its wildflower meadows and fishing lakes, or opt for an adrenalin-fuelled adventure on the colliery’s spoil heap, which has been transformed into a blue grade mountain bike trail. <hr> After all that exercise, why not take a seat in the adjoining Century Theatre. Britain’s oldest travelling theatre made more than a pit stop here in 1996, putting down permanent roots and offering a varied range of performances ever since.

Parking & Transport

• On site parking

Provider Preferences

• In countryside