- published: 18 Dec 2012
- views: 4544
Coordinates: 53°41′49″N 1°24′58″W / 53.697°N 1.416°W / 53.697; -1.416
Altofts is a village in West Yorkshire, England. It lies 5 miles (8.0 km) north-east from the centre of Wakefield and less than 1 mile (1.6 km) north-west of Normanton. The M62 runs close to the village to the north-east, and the Aire and Calder Navigation to the north-west.
Many people in the village previously worked in the local coal mines. The largest mine in the village, The West Riding Colliery, was owned by Pope and Pearsons. It was here that the first British coaldust experiments took place during 1908 and 1909, conducted by W. E. Garforth, manager of the colliery and president of the Mining Association of Great Britain. In the early 20th Century Garforth's improvement to worker safety helped to develop underground safety and rescue procedures that are today common worldwide. Today people are either employed in neighbouring towns and cities, the brickworks, or on the Wakefield Europort's 'Tuscany Park' industrial estate which has been developed over recent decades.