Coal
Coal is formed from organic matter accumulating in bogs and mires. We call this peat. Over time, the peat becomes more deeply buried and more heavily compacted. This process causes the peat to lose its non-carbon constituents and mineralise, forming coal.
It takes 10 metres of peat to form 1 metre of coal, and it may take 7,000 years to accumulate this much peat.
There are several types of coal. In the image above, you can see a large specimen of Anthracite on the left and two smaller samples of Cannel coal on the right.
Coal was vital to the development of many towns in the North of England.
The region was recognised as a source of coal by the Romans, but it was in the 16th Century that the industry began to develop.
Between 1500 and 1700, coal production nationally increased by 1400%. Most of this was being mined in the north.
Bolton’s coal seams were never fully exploited and it is estimated that nearly half of England’s opencast coal reserves are in this region.
