Which colliery was known as the ‘Fair Lady’? And where was the deepest mine shaft? These are just two of the many questions answered in this history of the Staffordshire coal mines and the collieries that were bedrocks of local communities. From their early beginnings in Roman times through to the growth of the Industrial Revolution, subsequent depressions and strikes until the last closures in the 1980s, Helen Harwood takes us on a journey through the history of the mines that shaped the county of Staffordshire through the ages. Coal heated our homes, powered the railways, and fuelled the pottery kilns and the steel foundries, and later the power stations. It was the industry generations depended upon and united the county in a shared experience of hard work and danger.

'It is well written, easy to navigate and (within its scope) comprehensive and recommended for non-specialists interested in this subject.' -- Chartered Institute for Archaeologists, Spring 2024

Helen Harwood was born in Stoke-on-Trent and grew up in nearby Wolstanton, where her lifetime love of history developed. Her family have had a long association with the Staffordshire coal industry over several generations, working at a number of collieries.