Coal mining in the United Kingdom dates back to Roman times and occurred in many different parts of the country. Britain's coalfields are associated with Northumberland and Durham, North and South Wales, Yorkshire, Scotland, Lancashire, the East and West Midlands and Kent. During the 1980s and 1990s the industry was shrunk considerably. The last deep coal mine in the UK closed on 18 December 2015. Twenty-six open cast mines still remain open.