Scanned image of oblique aerial view, taken from the N, of Wilsontown Ironworks; centred on an area of bell pits. The works lie to the top right of the photograph.

Description Scanned image of oblique aerial view, taken from the N, of Wilsontown Ironworks; centred on an area of bell pits. The works lie to the top right of the photograph.

Date 2/2/1995

Collection RCAHMS Aerial Photography

Catalogue Number SC 354304

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of B 97407 CS

Scope and Content Aerial view of bell-pits at Wilsontown, South Lanarkshire The Wilsontown Iron Works were founded in 1779 by Robert Wilson on his estate at Cleugh, taking advantage of local coal and iron deposits. A series of bell-pits near Wilsontown are shown in this aerial photograph. These are easily identified by the rings of spoil which lie around the shafts of the pits. Where coal deposits lay near the surface it could be mined by sinking bell-pits which required no support or ventilation. A pit was sunk to the level of the coal seam which was then followed in all directions until the walls reached the point of collapse. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/1660055

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap