The Grange Museum

At TNC we have our own museum dedicated to the miners that worked at the colliery It showcases many items found during and when rebuilding the site. The museum is open to all however the door may sometimes be locked. If so contact reception and they will be pleased to open it for you.

The Grange mine was opened in 1764 and was then part of Earl Gower & Co. estates. The Lilleshall Company which was formed in 1809 took over the colliery and it became one of four known as the Deepside Mines (the others being Granville, Woodhouse and Stafford). In 1896 it is listed as having 239 men working underground. The first shaft for deep mining was sunk in 1864 and the mine continued in production until 1951 when it was re-designated as a pumping and ventilation station for the nearby Granville mine, to which it was connected by an underground tunnel. The combined pit closed completely in 1979 which ended all deep coal mining in Shropshire.

Many of the buildings you see at TNC were part of the mine structure and the huge steel winding gear that dominates the skyline was built around 1870 replacing an earlier wooden one. The structure is designated as a national monument and is referenced in the historical England records. It is one of only two remaining in-situ “tandem wheel headgear” structures in the country. The other is at Snibston in Leicestershire. This type of headgear, with two wheels, one in front of the other, was an important feature of mines in the 19th and 20th Centuries.

The mine workings would have spread over a large part of our site and some mining equipment has been salvaged by our woodland team and you can see this, and find out more in the museum.