Haig Colliery Mining Museum
Encyclopedia
Haig Colliery Mining Museum is a rapidly growing visitor attraction situated in Kells, high on the cliffs above Whitehaven
in Cumbria
, England, with magnificent views across the Solway Firth
to Scotland
and the Isle of Man
.
It is an independent, volunteer-led project to provide a permanent archive of the local mining history and community resource within the remaining winding engine house, which is now a scheduled ancient monument. One of the two massive steam winding engines has been returned to working order, and many artifacts are on permanent display to help describe the life of the local miners and the social history of the area.
Coal mining in Whitehaven dates back to the thirteenth century when the monks from St Bees
Abbey supervised the opening of coal mines at Arrowthwaite. This long history ended abruptly in March 1986, when Haig Pit, Cumbria's last deep coal mine, finally closed.
During this time, the gassy nature of the mines caused many violent explosions. Over 1200 men, women, and children were killed in the Whitehaven pits while mining coal in workings up to four miles out beneath the Solway Firth. Haig itself had a terrible record of methane
explosions in the 1920s. Fourteen miners are still entombed in the workings to this day.
Whitehaven
Whitehaven is a small town and port on the coast of Cumbria, England, which lies equidistant between the county's two largest settlements, Carlisle and Barrow-in-Furness, and is served by the Cumbrian Coast Line and the A595 road...
in Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, England, with magnificent views across the Solway Firth
Solway Firth
The Solway Firth is a firth that forms part of the border between England and Scotland, between Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway. It stretches from St Bees Head, just south of Whitehaven in Cumbria, to the Mull of Galloway, on the western end of Dumfries and Galloway. The Isle of Man is also very...
to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
.
It is an independent, volunteer-led project to provide a permanent archive of the local mining history and community resource within the remaining winding engine house, which is now a scheduled ancient monument. One of the two massive steam winding engines has been returned to working order, and many artifacts are on permanent display to help describe the life of the local miners and the social history of the area.
Coal mining in Whitehaven dates back to the thirteenth century when the monks from St Bees
St Bees
St Bees is a village and civil parish in the Copeland district of Cumbria, in the North of England, about five miles west southwest of Whitehaven. The parish had a population of 1,717 according to the 2001 census. Within the parish is St...
Abbey supervised the opening of coal mines at Arrowthwaite. This long history ended abruptly in March 1986, when Haig Pit, Cumbria's last deep coal mine, finally closed.
During this time, the gassy nature of the mines caused many violent explosions. Over 1200 men, women, and children were killed in the Whitehaven pits while mining coal in workings up to four miles out beneath the Solway Firth. Haig itself had a terrible record of methane
Methane
Methane is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is the simplest alkane, the principal component of natural gas, and probably the most abundant organic compound on earth. The relative abundance of methane makes it an attractive fuel...
explosions in the 1920s. Fourteen miners are still entombed in the workings to this day.