Tarbrax, Shale-oil Works

NT05NW 10.00 centred 0250 5560

NT05NW 10.01 NT 027 552 Village; Rig

NT05NW 10.02 NT 0181 5560 Shale-Oil Mine; Tramway

NT05NW 10.03 NT 028 555 Engine House; Dam

NT05NW 10.04 NT 0287 5571 Shaft; Shale Bing

For Tarbrax, Lawhead Mine (NT 031 554), see NT05NW 11.

The remains of Tarbrax shale-oil works are situated in angle of two massive bings, set at right-angles to each other to the NW of Tarbrax village. Vegetation and extensive disturbance obscure much detail of the works, but the overall shape and layout of the ruins generally correspond with the depiction on the revision of the 2nd edition of the OS 6-inch map (Lanarkshire 1911, sheet xv) and RAF vertical aerial photographs (541/A/443 frames 3264-5). The shale-oil works were opened in about 1864 by the Tarbrax Oil Co. and closed in 1925 (Third Statistical Account for the County of Lanarkshire).

The remains of the works (NT 0251 5565, CSW 4706) comprise a disturbed sub-rectangular area of collapsed brick structures, arranged in a grid-pattern, lying to the NE side of a substantial brick revetment, at the top of which there are further brick foundations; both correspond with structures shown on the map revision of 1911 (ibid). Three interconnected ponds, probably settling tanks (CSW 4705), lie to the WNW of the works. The locations of further structures shown on the 1911 revision to the E of the works are marked by an incoherent spread of overgrown concrete floors and fragments of brick foundations. To the E of the S bing further fragmentary brick foundations mark the locations of at nine miner?s rows (CSW 4707) shown on the 1911 revision. The lines of the dismantled railways running into the site from the NNE and WNW were clearly visible at the date of visit, although the sidings running into the works were not.

The bings are composed of the reddened shale from the works and have been formed as a series of tip lines running off an axial tramway. Large parts of the S bing have been removed, but the N bing is relatively untouched but is at present being used by four-wheel drive vehicles.

The ridge of relatively well-drained ground to the NNE of the works is covered by two types of rig: broad, high-backed ridges measuring about 7m between furrows have been subdivided by shallow, straight furrows about 3m to 4m apart. The rig spreads to an area which is overlain by Lawhead Mine (NT05NW 11). several tracks and the line of tramways shown on the 1911 revision overlie the rig.

Also to the NE of the works is a mine (NT 0280 5574), marked by a disturbed crow's foot bing, two boggy hollows which may have been pit-heads and the brick footings of a brick building. These remains had fallen out of use by the 1911 revision but are shown on the 2nd edition of the OS 6-inch map (Lanarkshire 1897, sheet xvi), with one of the pitheads (CSW 4710) labelled as an air shaft, with an adjacent winding drum. The second boggy hollow (CSW 4711) corresponds with the location of an 'Old Shaft' on the 1911 revision and may have been associated with the building to the ESE, of which only the brick footings survive (CSW 4712). To the N, a sub-square depression (CSW 4699) corresponds with an 'Old Shaft' marked on the 2nd edition map may be related to a series of collapse hollows in the vicinity (CSW 4697, 4698). These remains, together with Lawhead Mine (NT05NW 11) to the E and Cobbinshaw (NT05NW 44) to the N may have been part of a network supplying the shale-oil works. The winding mechanism base (CSW 4714) on the E bank of the Greenfield Burn appears to have linked Lawhead Mine and the shale-oil works and may have been powered by an electric dynamo (CSW 4722) on the burn.

Further shafts (CSW 4703 and 4704), which had fallen out of use by the date of the 2nd edition map (ibid), but may have been associated with an earlier phase of the shale-oil works, lie to the N of the line of a tramway to the W of the works.

(CSW 4697-4699, 4701-4718)

Visited by RCAHMS (DCC) 15, 20 July 1994

Tarbrax is visible on vertical air photograph (OS 70/367/013, flown 1970).

Information from RCAHMS (DE) January 1997.