TripAdvisor rates National Coal Mining Museum as a top England Hidden Gem Attraction
The NCMME near Wakefield is second in as list of 4,000 places, sorted by traveller favourites of things to do.
It was ranked using TripAdvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, and popularity.
FREE GUIDE: The National Coal Mining Museum England also features in our free Top Attractions online guide of places to visit - READ HERE.
The former Caphouse Colliery, at New Road, Overton, witnessed more than 200 years of coal production.
It now mines a rich seam of pit industry heritage, including underground tours, helping to bring the story of coal mining to life.
Visitors can journey 140m underground and discover some of that mining history. Plan your visit at www.ncm.org.uk/your-visit.
"We are thrilled to be rated second in TripAdvisor’s Best England Hidden Gem Attractions list," said the museum's new CEO Lynn Dunnng.
"We are grateful to our visitors for their fantastic reviews and our team at the Museum who go to such lengths to ensure everyone who visits has a great day.
"Reviews make the world of difference to organisations like our own and help to spread the word far and wide."
Hear stories directly from former-miners about their careers and understand the roles men, women, children, animals and machinery played in the operation of the mine. Then let off steam in the Adventure Playground.
It is currently hosting a yearlong exhibition and programme of events, 84/85 – The Longest Year, to mark the 40th anniversary of the Miners’ Strike - highlighttong memories and stories of those who lived through it.
A permanent tour tells the story of coal and how it changed our nation forever, where you can find out about the people and communities at the heart of the industry and experiencing the life of a miner at work and play.
Underground tour, ‘darn pit’, is led by an ex-miner with years of experience under his heavy tool belt, talking through mining history.
Visitors see the steam winder, which transported miners into the pit and brought out coal, learn about the hardships that influenced child labour laws and explore the revolutionary pithead baths that enhanced the miners’ work-life balance. Heading up to Hope Pit lets you investigate the mechanical workings of the pit through interactive models and the giant machinery used to keep everything moving.
There's also a Miners’ Memorial Garden, to relax and reflect. During the summer months, children can even grab a bucket and spade and take a break at the museum’s very own beach.
On weekends and holidays, visitors hop aboard and ride from Caphouse to Hope on a battery-powered paddy train which was once used to ferry miners to and from the coal face, and meet the ponies, Clydesdale horse and stable cats at the Pony Discovery Centre. There are interactive activities to discover how four-legged friends have been entwined with coal mining for many centuries, while a nature trail allows visitors to listen to birds singing as they walk through acres of woodland and by the reed beds that help to clean the mine water. Find out more about how you can enjoy the mining experience at ncm.org.uk.
In The TripAdvisor list of Best Hidden Gems in England, The NCMME appears above Newcastle's acclaimed Victoria Tunnel, a fully preserved 19th century coal waggonway and WW2 air-raid shelter, and London's celebrated Highgate Cemetery.
In first place is Birmingham Back to Backs, an atmospheric glimpse into the lives of the ordinary people who helped make Birmingham an extraordinary city.
VIRTUAL TOUR: Martyn Pitt A Life in Photography, a recent exhibition at the National Coal Mining Museum for England, can now be viewed online as the museum's first 3D virtual tour walkthrough, with audio clips and more - VISIT HERE.
READ MORE:
LINKS:
Official web site: www.ncm.org.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/NCMME
X: @ncmme
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@ncmme
Instagram: www.instagram.com/ncmme_miningmuseum