The 'Our History' galleries are packed with information. Each has a particular theme and new galleries will be added in the future. The largest is, by far, the Mining Heritage gallery, comprising detailed histories of Kiveton, West Kiveton and Waleswood Pits, through the eyes of the men who worked at them. We've also included a question and answer section inspired by the school visits in the summer and two important appendices from Michael Sampson's History of the Colliery.

Other 'Our History' galleries cover many different aspects of life in Kiveton Park and Wales in years gone by. Many will be built upon by the History Society and others will be added. If you'd like to see a section here please email our web co-ordinator Brenda and we'll see what we can do. Even better, why not write a section yourself and send it to us to include?

Please Select a Section from the List Below

• Family Histories
  

  In this section you can find out about some of the families of Kiveton Park and Wales. When they were born, who they married, their careers and where they are now...

  
  
• The Railways
  

  The North Midland was the first railway to arrive in this locality, opening its route from Leeds to Derby via Woodhouse Mill and Beighton on May 11th 1840. Nine years later, on February 12th 1849...

  
  
• Chesterfield Canal
  

  In the late eighteenth century, work began on a canal to link Chesterfield with the River Trent. This canal was routed through Kiveton Park and was to have lasting effects..

  
  
• Women of Kiveton Park
  

  Women's history is about rediscovering parts of history which have previously been overlooked by historians. By assessing the lives of women it adds to our understanding of the past...

  
  
• Before The Pits
  

  It is common misconception that there was little in Kiveton Park or Wales prior to the sinking of the deep pits in the mid-19th century...

  
  
• Church & Chapel
  

  The oldest religious building in this locality, Wales Church, was built in the Norman style almost a thousand years ago...

  
  
• Sport
  

  As local people will know, there are several football and cricket pitches in this area. It's no coincidence that the cricket fields are situated so close...

  
  
• Holidays
  

  This section is devoted to holidays, those weeks when many from Kiveton and Wales would jump on trains and head off to the coast, particularly the East Coast but also Blackpool for many families...

  
  
• Carnival
  

  Two of the most popular and memory-evoking annual events in the calendars of both Kiveton and Wales have been the carnivals and pantomimes...

  
  
• Buildings & Architecture
  

  One of the most striking aspects of Kiveton Park and Wales are their distinctive buildings. From the Pit Manager's house at Wales Bar in the west to Field House on Hard Lane in the east...

  
  
• The Cinema
  

  Anybody who grew up in Kiveton Park would have been very familiar with The Regal cinema, stood on the site of what is now The Forge pub...

  
  
• Herbert Chapman
  

  Several historians and football experts have gone further and suggested that Herbert Chapman, a miner's son from Kiveton Park, became the greatest football manager of all time...