What Is Mined in the UK? Coal, Metals & Critical Minerals

The UK's mining industry is a shadow of its 19th-century peak but still produces strategic materials.

Historical Giants (Now Minimal)

• Coal: Once world leader. Deep mining ended 2015 (Kellingley closure). Opencast continues (~2M tonnes/yr). Net importer.
• Iron Ore: Major deposits (Cleveland, Northamptonshire) exhausted. Last mine closed 1980s. Steel uses imported ore.
• Lead & Zinc: Pennines, Wales, Scotland—once world-class. Last mine (Force Crag, Cumbria) closed 1991.

Current Production

• Construction Minerals: Limestone, chalk, sand, gravel, clay, gypsum—~200M tonnes/yr (largest sector by volume).
• Industrial Minerals: Salt (Cheshire, Teesside – solution mining), potash (Boulby, Yorkshire – UK's only deep mine), silica sand, fluorspar, barite.
• Metals (Minor): Tin/tungsten (Hemerdon, Devon – reopened 2015, closed 2018, seeking restart), gold (Cononish, Scotland – small scale).

Future: Critical Minerals for Net Zero

• Lithium: Cornwall (hard rock & geothermal brine) – Cornish Lithium, British Lithium advancing projects.
• Cobalt, Nickel, Rare Earths: Exploration in Scotland, N. England.
• Graphite, Tungsten: Strategic autonomy push.

Policy: UK Critical Minerals Strategy (2022) aims to rebuild domestic supply chains. Planning, permitting, community consent remain hurdles.