In the early 1900s, Bilsthorpe village's population was approximately 200 and slowly declining. Then coal mining arrived in Bilsthorpe in the 1920s and considerably changed the landscape and social development of the village.
When the mine closed in 1997 social changes had to be made due to unemployment and the loss of the common bond of the mine, which united them.
Bilsthorpe Heritage Society began after the mine closed and was formed by a handful of residents who had the foresight to collect artefacts and memorabilia from the local mine and surrounding area before it was lost in time. This was so the history of mining not just in Bilsthorpe but across the industry could be preserved for future generations.
https://www.visit-nottinghamshire.co.uk/things-to-do/bilsthorpe-heritage-museum-p627401