Pit-Head Baths, Denaby Main

History

Denaby Main colliery was closed in 1968 after a 101 years of producing coal but originally served as a ventilation and pumping shaft for Cadeby. The site of the colliery itself is now home to the Dearne Valley Leisure Centre and the only building that remained was the pit-head bath house, which has since been demolished.

By the end of the 19th century, pit-head baths were common in Belgium, France and Germany. In England most miners bathed at home. As pit-head baths became more common over the 20th century, so miners' housing changed, with an increasing amount of bathrooms situated upstairs.

Pit-head baths were only slowly introduced in Britain. Legislation in 1911 stopped short of requiring them to be provided, and by the time the coal industry was nationalised only around a third of pits had bathing facilities.

Further information on the Denaby Main colliery and other pits in the surrounding area can be found here:

https://sites.google.com/site/conisbroughlocalhistory/denaby-and-cadeby-collieries

A short video exploration can be found on this YouTube channel along with several other video explorations of buildings in the local area:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQz955Kjli2nzmUNwoc8DJQ

Source:

http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/industrial-sites/73418-denaby-main-colliery-bath-house-denaby-main-august-2012-a.html

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Esoteric Eric.