Exterior viewing from permitted National Coal Mining Museum visitor areas only. Historic England says the Hope Pit shaft and headgear are visible from the museum. Do not enter or climb the scheduled shaft, headgear or spoil heap. Surface museum visits are described as available without advance booking; underground tours are separately marked paused on the dedicated museum page as checked on 7 October 2026.
Check the official visitor information ↗ · checked 2026-10-07
Use public paths and visitor areas. Do not enter unstaffed tunnels, shafts, railway land or restricted property.
Advice before you visitInformation checked 2026-10-07. Historic England scheduling record and National Coal Mining Museum visitor, history and tour-status pages checked. No site visit or direct operator confirmation.
A rare small mine structure
This scheduled monument is part of Hope Pit, distinct from the tall headstock at the main Caphouse winding shaft. Historic England protects the shaft head, wooden headgear, a horse-powered gin and the spoil heap that supports them. The listing calls the headgear a rare surviving older type.
The official record says the shaft may originally have been made for drainage before serving as an air shaft. The headgear and gin were used for inspections. These careful words matter: the record explains likely purpose, but does not claim that the structure was the principal coal-lifting shaft.
- Shaft head and associated headgear near Caphouse Colliery, Overton (NHLE 1013407) ↗ · reviewed 2026-10-07
- Winding House, Heapstead and Headstock at Caphouse Colliery (NHLE 1135482) ↗ · reviewed 2026-10-07
Seeing it without entering it
Historic England says the shaft head and headgear are visible from the museum. The museum’s site includes the restored Hope Pit area, but the scheduling does not give visitors permission to climb the spoil heap, enter the shaft or pass barriers. View it from the museum’s permitted routes and follow staff directions.
The museum’s visitor page says ordinary surface visits do not need advance booking. Its dedicated underground-tour page, however, said bookings were paused when checked on 7 October 2026. This protected surface structure should not be confused with a bookable trip down the main Caphouse mine.
- Shaft head and associated headgear near Caphouse Colliery, Overton (NHLE 1013407) ↗ · reviewed 2026-10-07
- About Us: museum history ↗ · reviewed 2026-10-07
- Your Visit ↗ · reviewed 2026-10-07
- Underground Tours ↗ · reviewed 2026-10-07
What we still need to check
The protected identity and historic roles come from Historic England. We have not visited to check the exact current sightline, condition or any access restrictions within the museum. The museum’s tour pages contain conflicting text, so underground availability needs a fresh operator check.
Sources for the visiting information
- Shaft head and associated headgear near Caphouse Colliery, Overton (NHLE 1013407) ↗ · reviewed 2026-10-07
- Your Visit ↗ · reviewed 2026-10-07
- Underground Tours ↗ · reviewed 2026-10-07
About the original record
This place is recorded by Historic England / Planning Data. The details below include the original description of its building or site type.
Place details
- Category
- Industrial relics
- Building or site type (original wording)
- Shaft head and associated headgear near Caphouse Colliery, Overton
- Period or date
- Historic mine shaft and headgear; precise construction date not established by the scheduling record
- Current condition
- Not checked in person
- Heritage protection
- Scheduled monument
- Date protection was granted
- 1989-09-20
- Nearby town
- Wakefield (approximate)
- County named in the original record
- Not supplied
- Current county or council area
- Kirklees
- Nation
- England
- Original record number
- 1013407
- Coordinates
- 53.644795, -1.622397 (reference point, not an entrance)
- Heritage data checked
- 2026-09-13
- Source last updated
- 2026-08-28
- Visitor information checked
- 2026-10-07
We checked the downloaded heritage record on 2026-09-13. We have not visited or inspected the site. The map point may refer to a whole site, one structure or a location where little remains.