Victorian Workshop

"Our mining investigation was tied into our own village's history. Richard's delivery meant that my class was so engaged that we will use it as the basis for our entire Local History section of the curriculum. Truly inspirational!"

- Durham teacher
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Mining Investigation (half-day or full day)

This investigation takes a half-day but can be extended into a full-day session.

Find out about the North East's mining communities in Victorian times by studying REAL people from your area.

History is best seen through the eyes of real people, and this investigation uses a rubbing of a real gravestone to launch a fascinating and intriguing study into the life and death of a North-East miner.

That History Bloke has trawled the archives to find examples of coal miners and their families in order to carry out a thinking skills-based investigation. Use primary sources such as censuses, old maps, photographs and newspaper reports to piece together tragic events. Learn about the dirty, dangerous job of coal mining by holding, smelling and using equipment that was once used underground.

Extend the experience into a full-day by learning about the wider community of the coalminer - schools, homelife and family - through the use of domestic artefacts, pictures and other sources.