This selection of fascinating old photographs, ranging from Victorian times to the recent past, charts a part of the history of Goldthorpe, Thurnscoe, Bolton-upon-Dearne, and the surrounding villages. Drawn from the extensive collection held by the Barnsley Archive Service and enriched by a wealth of detail supplied by the Dearne Local History Group, these pictures reflect not only the streets and buildings but also the local people and how they lived, worked and played. The closure of Goldthorpe Colliery in 1994, the last working pit in the area, brought an end to a century of domination by the industry. The headgears have been removed, the shafts filled and buildings demolished as the area comes to terms with a new future without the reliance upon 'King Coal'. Yet though the mines came to dominate the local economy they also created and fostered a new, vibrant community drawn together by ties of faith, recreation, and hard labour. As a new economic era begins for the area it is perhaps more vital than ever that the past is understood and its lessons learned.