General view from SW, showing offices on left and baths on right, with No. 2 shaft winding tower on left and No. 1 shaft winding tower on right in background.

Description General view from SW, showing offices on left and baths on right, with No. 2 shaft winding tower on left and No. 1 shaft winding tower on right in background.

Catalogue Number SC 376606

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of B 17653 CN

Scope and Content View from car park of Monkton Hall Colliery, Midlothian Monkton Hall Colliery was sunk in 1954-67 and was one of the National Coal Board's five Scottish super-pits. Coal production reached 5,000 tons per day in 1968. Most of the output went to Cockenzie Power Station. It was closed in 1997 and then demolished. A car park this size was needed because, in its heyday in 1971, the colliery employed 1,786 people. The buildings, from left to right are: offices; Number 2 Winding Tower (downcast); the Pithead Baths; and Number 1 Winding Tower (upcast). By law, every mine must have two shafts so that miners can escape if one shaft is blocked. This also ensures proper ventilation of the mine. Fresh air is pumped into the downcast shaft and stale air is expelled from the upcast shaft. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/376606

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap