Extensive collection of photographs showing the history of Kiveton Park & Wales. This large section contains photos that have been generously donated to the History Society for inclusion on this website. They have be separated into the Photo Archive, People's Museum and Digital Archive.
Oral Histories were an important part of the 2007 History Project. During this time, many people from Kiveton & Wales were interviewed about their life and experience of the area. This section also contains some of the other audio clips collected during the project.
See the sights of Kiveton Park & Wales in our video archive! The 2007 History Project uncovered some fascinating videos produced in the large part by local residents. Topics include the history of the area, mining, History Society events and the Kiveton pit clock.
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Kiveton Pit
Kneeling front left - Joe Hall, centre - Peter Allen. Front right Vic Howson
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Bevin Boys at a nearby colliery, c. 1942
During the Second World War, a scheme was introduced which meant thousands of young men were sent not to fight at the fronts but to work in pits across Britain's coalfields. Ensuring coal was kept in plentiful supply was vital. Named after Ernest Bevin, Minister for Labour, the Bevin Boys often had a tough time adapting to their new jobs and lives underground. This photo was taken at a nearby colliery, possibly Treeton, and shows enthusiastic recruits about to undergo training underground.
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The Colliery Offices at Kiveton Park, c. 1920s
This photo shows the distinctive Colliery Offices at Kiveton Park, built in the 1870s. The clocktower still shines out over the village each night. Look for the man leant against the wall by the front door. The bright white monument is the memorial to the men from the pit who died during the First World War. It was unveiled in the early 1920s and this photo was probably taken soon after.
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Sinkers at Waleswood Colliery, 1860s
This photograph is thought to show sinkers at Waleswood Colliery. If this is the case, then the visible shaft in the background marks the start of what was to be over 130 years of deep mining in our villages.
The tools are incredible reminders of the sheer hard work and skill which was involved in sinking a pit shaft at that time, with basic hand-tools long before the age of mechanisation. The records of this sinking are held in a private archive in the Lake District.
Across the Yorkshire coalfield, and elsewhere in the UK, this scene was being played out hundreds of times. Men and boys worked downwards to strike seams deep underground, to provide the coal that fuelled the industrial revolution and generate vast riches for the colliery owners.
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Coal wagons beside Kiveton Carnival, c. 1930s
This photo was taken on carnival day at the recreation ground in the 1930s, when football matches were an exciting part of the village's celebrations each year. There are many stories associated with this photo and the names of those pictured will appear here soon. The coal waggons in the background bear the distinctive signing of Kiveton Park Colliery and demonstrate how closely lives in the village and the working of the pit took place.
The ladies - Standing left with flag, Mrs Starr, Back Row from the left. Miss Froggatt, Miss Hudson, Miss E Tristan, ?, Mary Alison, Evelyn Lawton and Alice Barthorpe. Front row from left. ?, ?, Miss E Rowlett, Cath Wilkes, ?.
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Geoff Bennett, Kiveton Park Colliery Safety Officer, c. 1970s
Geoff was born in nearby Fir Vale and, like generations of his family before him, worked at Kiveton Park Colliery. Still living in the village, Geoff has been the source of valuable knowledge and insights for those exploring the history of the pit, the safety of which he was responsible for for many years.
You can listen to Geoff speaking about his experiences in the oral history section of this website.
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Colliery Day Trip, c. 1950s
The men shown here worked in the Offices at Kiveton Park Colliery. They are relaxing and in jovial spirits before leaving for a day trip to the coast. The buses are very distinctive and would have made an impressive site travelling in convoy!
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Kiveton Park Colliery, c. 1980s
This photo was taken in the 1980s and shows the full scale of the buildings and machinery that were created around pit-top and Kiveton's distinctive headgear. The scene is very different to what it was earlier in the century. It is especially hard to imagine those first sinkers camped out by the deepening shaft when it was first sunk in 1866-7.
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Taken in the 1950's at a cricket function. From the left, Eddie Noble, Ernest Chapman and Mr Goulding, pit manager.
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The Pit Manager Mr Golding on the left.
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What was known as The lamp cabin.
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March with banner on Station Road, c. 1900
This image shows a march on Station Road at around the turn of the century. The banner is very impressive indeed.
Photography was still fairly rare, which perhaps explains the look on the young lad's face who is peering into the camera!
This photograph was kindly donated by the Arthur Fitton and digitised by History Society volunteers.
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Tunnel Top - where a lot of miners did their fishing. The bucket that can be seen in the photograph was part of a continuous loop system of buckets that carried spoil from the pit to the highest point of the pit tip. On reaching the top the bucket would automatically tip the load and return to the pit for another load.
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Feed the Children parade, c. 1921
This photograph probably dates from the 1920s. It shows a parade in front of the Regal Cinema. The banner 'Feed the Children' may refer to the 1921 Lockout in the mining industry, or the famine which took place in Russia during the Civil War, of which there was widespread awareness in Britain.
Kindly donated by Mrs Margaret Gibson and digitised by History Society volunteers.
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Kiveton Park Colliery Ambulance, c. 1920s
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Back row from the left. Jack Widdowson, Jack Davies, Jack Spacey, Albert Hallam, C Lidgett.
Front row from the left. Syd Jenkins, Cyril Askew, Dick Grainger, Harry Lawton, George Grainger. taken in the late 1940's at a Rescue Dinner held in Rotherham Co-op.
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