Description: See also DCNE000464. Two Holmewood coal miners; T Watson and J James were trapped for 4 days from 22-26 September 1920 down Hardwick Colliery after part of the pit roof fell in. Their rescuers were helped by the Rev. Fowler, who kept the trapped men cheerful by telling them funny stories. The Holmewood Colliery was also known as the Hardwick Colliery and was sunk in 1870. The colliery was a large concern with its own coking ovens and continued production until its closure in 1968. In 1896, there were 2 registered collieries:- Holmewood No 1 Colliery worked the Tupton seam and employed 280 underground and 180 surface workers. Holmewood No 2 Colliery worked the Silkstone seam and employed underground, sharing the surface workforce with the No 1 Colliery. Following Nationalisation in 1947, Holmewood became a part of the National Coal Board No 1 Area. Holmewood was operating from the No 2 Colliery only. The colliery was working the Tupton and Three Quarter seams at this stage. The colliery employed a workforce of 623 underground and 262 surface workers. The site of the colliery has now been covered by an enterprise business park. A modern, light industrial factory unit stands on the site of the colliery, the front car park having three flag poles where the shafts were originally located. (Some technical information about the colliery was extracted from the excellent 'A Miners Son' web site, which is fascinating for anyone with an interest in Derbyshire Coal Mining)