"How Brave are the colliers beneath the ground..."

April 4th 1862

Deep underground in Westwood colliery, at High Green, near Sheffield. Two hundred men and boys are three hours into a gruelling morning shift.

Cold, cramped colliers swing heavy handpicks at the slow-yielding coalface. Dim safety lamps have been switched, by some, for bright but forbidden candles.

Thomas Cleatheroe, working with his son and nephew, hears a roof fall nearby. Moments later their naked candlelight triggers an explosion of gas.

Miraculously, every collier makes it to the surface alive. Yet days later, Thomas, son, nephew, and three other miners die of their burns.

The inquest recommends the mine manager is charged with manslaughter.

150 years later

The Six Jolly Miners felt it would be a fitting tribute to commemorate this tragedy on its anniversary through dance, song, dramatisations, artwork, poetry, and more.

We joined forces with High Green community groups, schools, church, and local council, to stage events at High Green Primary School and Miners Welfare Hall, on 23rd-24th March 2012

A permanent Westwood Memorial was also unveiled in the hall.

See the map below for a list of sites of interest. Yellow markers denotes venues, mauve markers denote sites of interest.