Shafts of Light was a project that aimed to provide increased access to coal mining records held in South Yorkshire.

It was part of the nationwide programme Access to Archives [A2A]. This programme is providing wider access to archive materials held in repositories throughout the UK . It is partly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Shafts of Light was a co-operative venture between
all four local authority archive services in South Yorkshire

• Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Local Studies and Archive Service

• Barnsley Local Studies and Archives Department

• Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Archives

• Sheffield City Council Archives

Content

The archive material ranges from the 1500s to the present day. It includes a breadth of material highlighting both the administrative and financial concerns of the coal mining industry and the miner's struggle to earn a decent living.

The project has allowed for the cataloguing of new collections that have been previously unseen by the public.

Including:

• West Riding of Yorkshire Miner's Permanent Relief Fund

• Treeton Colliery Collection

• Hart Moss and Copley and Company

• A2A Website

The records are available on the Access to Archives database which is situated on their website at

 www.a2a.org.uk

Searching the database is easy. You can search by entering a keyword, phrase, date or location. There are options for simple or complex searches. Online help and contact information is available on the website.