Ollerton Colliery Yard (1940/1949) by Butterley CompanyDerbyshire Record Office
Coal mining in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire
Coal deposits are common in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. The Butterley Company, a coal and iron company, needed to find new sources of coal to replace dwindling reserves. In the early 1900s, the company chose Ollerton in Central Nottinghamshire as a new colliery site.
Ollerton from the Fields (1900/1940) by A. P. KnightonDerbyshire Record Office
Old Ollerton
Ollerton was a small village before work began to build a colliery and housing in 1920. It was not unusual for coal companies to build housing for their workers, but it was unusual to build and design on such a scale.
Photograph of Henry Eustace Mitton (1930/1945) by UnknownDerbyshire Record Office
Henry Eustace Mitton
Henry Eustace Mitton, agent and later General Manager for the Butterley Company, was a renowned expert in the coal industry, writing many publications on the development of collieries. He was key to designing the village and colliery at Ollerton.
Plan of Power Lines, Cables, Telephone Lines and Water Mains in Ollerton (1947-04-22) by Butterley Company LtdDerbyshire Record Office
Services for Ollerton
Before any houses could be built, it was necessary to organise electricity, water, gas, and telephone supplies. At the time, it was unusual for working-class housing to be provided with such amenities.
The Butterley Company wanted to ensure future generations of families continued to work for them. One way to do this was by offering comparatively spacious houses for workers and their families for that time. Houses were all semi-detached, a change from the cramped terraced housing that many other working-class families were used to. Whilst houses all looked different on the outside, they were were similar on the inside.
Plan of Type G Housing at Ollerton, Nottinghamshire (1920/1929) by Butterley Housing Company LtdDerbyshire Record Office
Modern Housing
This colourful plan shows the houses had an inside toilet and bathroom with running water. These were facilities that few working-class families would have had at the time.
Colliery Officials' Housing in Ollerton, Nottinghamshire (1922-08-04) by Butterley Housing Company LtdDerbyshire Record Office
Officials' houses
Pit officials were classed as lower management and, because of their status, were given larger housing with more bedrooms. There are remnants of the officials' housing on the main road through Ollerton where the road once had a row of ten such houses. Only five now remain.
Plan of Ollerton Village (1929-08) by Butterley CompanyDerbyshire Record Office
Welfare Provision
Colliery companies often provided amenities as well as housing. In Ollerton these included a doctor's clinic, Miners Welfare Institute, cinema, school, and sports ground. These were situated close to one another on the far side of the village.
Plan of Welfare Institute and Grounds at Ollerton (1920/1929) by UnknownDerbyshire Record Office
Miners' Welfare Institute
Miners' Welfare Institutes were a common sight in pit villages. They were places where miners could socialise, attend special events and evening classes. The grounds at the Ollerton Institute also included a sports ground. The Institute and grounds were demolished in 2011.
Letter about the proposed cottage hospital at Ollerton (1928-11-29) by Henry Eustace MittonDerbyshire Record Office
Proposed Hospital
The Butterley Company employed a doctor who lived and worked in the village, and provided free services to employees. Plans to build a small hospital in partnership with other local colliery companies never materialised due to high running costs.
Aerial photograph of Ollerton Colliery and village (1940) by Butterley CompanyDerbyshire Record Office
Colliery Village
More than 800 houses were eventually built at Ollerton. The Butterley Company intended it to be a model village, used as an example for other colliery companies of how best to provide for their workers. The colliery later had a diverse workforce from around the UK and abroad.
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The Former Colliery Site
Ollerton Colliery finally closed in 1994. As the largest employer in the area, its closure brought huge changes to the community. The houses are still occupied but the colliery site is now an industrial estate.
Special thanks to A. P. Knighton for the Ollerton in the Fields image.
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