Mines and pits Whitehaven

saltom pit

the earliest reference coal mining in whitehaven area in time of prior langton (1256–82) of st bees priory, concerning coal mines @ arrowthwaite. st bees priory dissolved in 1539, , lands , mineral rights passed secular owners. in 1560 sir thomas chaloner granted bases of land digging coal, , in 1586 granted st bees school liberty take 40 loads of coal @ coal pits in parish of st bees use of school . in 1670, manor of st. bees bought sir john lowther – began develop coal trade due ever-increasing demand ireland. lowther invested in best available technology monopolise coal trade. 1730s whitehaven had deepest mines due necessity drive ever deeper shafts reach new seams of coal.

an example of lowthers interest in technology seen @ stone pitt when 1 of world s earliest steam engines, engine no. 5 built thomas newcomen , john calley in 1715 installed, in drainage , haulage. william brownrigg, whitehaven s eminent scientist, first investigate explosive mine gas fire damp.

the lowthers technological advances continued when chief steward, carlisle spedding sunk saltom pit in 1729. saltom pit second pit sunk beneath sea. @ saltom pit, carlisle spedding pioneered use of explosives in sinking shafts. invented first form of safety lamp , called spedding wheel or steel mill. on occasions spedding wheel caused explosions or fires major improvement on naked flame.

saltom pit constructed around 20 ft above sea level, on land below cliffs near haig colliery. pit workings went down depth of 456 ft (138m). saltom pit ceased working coal in 1848, today scheduled ancient monument (sm 27801) , best known surviving example of 18th-century colliery layout. evidence of shaft, horse gin, stable, winding engine house, boiler house , chimney, cottages, cartroads , retaining walls, survives in situ.

coal excavated saltom pit raised horse gin surface, transported tram through tunnel ravenhill pit lifting cliff top. saltom pit used central pumping station, draining many of other local mines via drift driven in 1790s, , continued in use long after had ceased work coal.

repaired saltom pit

during 2007, copeland council declared no longer afford maintain remaining saltom pit buildings, , decided allow pit fall mercy of irish sea. following online campaign mywhitehaven.net, copeland council had change of heart , decided reverse decision. teamed national trust in endeavour save saltom pit, , obtained necessary funding various sources, including 50% grant european union. on monday 8 december 2007, saltom pit reopened historic monument. pit buildings have been repaired , part of whitehaven coast project – scheme regenerate coastal area of whitehaven.

in 3 hundred years on seventy pits sunk in whitehaven , district area. during period 5 hundred or more people killed in pit disasters , mining accidents. largest local disaster in 1910 @ wellington pit 136 miners lost lives. in 1947 @ william pit there disaster of similar proportions when 104 men killed. 4 separate explosions on period 1922–1931 @ haig pit killed 83. haig become last pit operate in whitehaven.

in 1983, major fault encountered @ haig – this, future of pit in doubt. this, combined political situation, , miners strike in 1984–85, contributed problems @ colliery. workforce attempted open new face, decision had been taken close, , after 2 years of recovery work, haig ceased mining on 31 march 1986. today there no mining carried out in whitehaven.