Elsecar Heritage Centre

Elsecar Main Colliery closed in 1983, followed by the closure of New Yard Workshops in 1985, and the site was left vacant. Barnsley Council and local volunteers undertook conservation, and repair works, and the site reopened in the 1990s as Elsecar Heritage Centre. Restoration and conservation work was also carried out in the village on buildings during the 1980s including the Miners’ Lodging House (Fitzwilliam Lodge), Old Row, Station Row, Reform Row and Cobcar Terrace.

The Heritage Centre now hosts events which support independent businesses and encourage community engagement. Elsecar village has maintained most of its historic buildings and landmarks, and its landscape narrates the stories of centuries of coal mining and Ironworking industries.
Since 2014, Barnsley Museums have been actively engaged in various restoration and conservation projects at Elsecar. The aim is to gain a deeper understanding of the site's history and share this knowledge with the public. Through these efforts, we aim to preserve the heritage and stories associated with the industrial site and village for future generations.

Restoration, conservation and community projects at Elsecar

1974 – First designated conservation plan for parts of Elsecar. Newcomen Beam Engine became a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

1990s – New Yard reopened as Elsecar Heritage Centre along with a visitor centre. The Powerhouse opened in the New Yard Carpenters’ Workshop offering hands on experience to learn about science and technology.

1998 – The Living History Centre opened showcasing history from the past including “smelling the past” feature!

2014 - As part of the Hairy Bikers Restoration Road Trip programme, Dave Myers and Si King visited the Elsecar Heritage Centre to assist with and highlight the restoration of the Newcomen Beam Engine.

2017 – Elsecar and the surrounding area selected as Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) in partnership with Historic England, establishing Elsecar as a heritage destination.

2020 – Proposal to extend the conservation area. Six sites, including the Ironworks, were given special listing and others were given upgraded protection.

2018 to 2021 – Great Place Wentworth & Elsecar was a three-year arts and heritage programme celebrating the close historic ties between the two sites - Wentworth Woodhouse, the Fitzwilliam’s family estate and Elsecar, the model industrial village. Supported by Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, it was a partnership between Barnsley Council, Rotherham Council, the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust and the National Trust.

2024 to 2025 – Awarded funding by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport through the Cultural Development Fund strand, delivered by Arts Council England. The project includes a brand-new Visitor Centre and updated event spaces.