Strathavon
Colliery(S) (19th Century), Miners Row(S) (19th Century)
Site Name Strathavon
Classification Colliery(S) (19th Century), Miners Row(S) (19th Century)
Canmore ID 84082
Site Number NS87SE 14
NGR NS 8658 7433
NGR Description Centred NS 8658 7433
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/84082
- Council Falkirk
- Parish Slamannan
- Former Region Central
- Former District Falkirk
- Former County Stirlingshire
Field Visit (28 July 1992)
NS87SE 14.00 centred 86 74
NS87SE 14.01 8662 7430 Strathavon Coke Ovens (CSW 4405, 4225)
In the second half of the 19th century a coke works and several mines were in operation to the W and S of the present farm of Strathavon, served by a tramway linked to an offshoot of the Slamannan Railway. Some indication of the development of these works can be gained from the early editions of the OS 6-inch map. The 1st edition of the map (Stirlingshire 1864, sheet xxxv) depicts the tramway, which began at NS 8681 7396 and ran NW for about 400m to a group of coke ovens at NS 8662 7430 (NS87SE 14.01; CSW 4405, 4225), continuing NW for another 400m to terminate at a coal pit at NS 8631 7460 (CSW 4401). About 150m to the E of the kilns, at NS 8678 7428, a long roofed building, likely to have been a row of miners cottages, is named Strathavon (CSW 4406). To the NE of this row, at NS 8682 7435, the 1st edition (ibid) depicts a small area of spoil tips, presumably an abandoned pit (CSW 4407).
By the time of the 2nd edition of the OS 6-inch map (Stirlingshire 1899, sheet xxxv) all industrial activity here appears to have ceased: the row had been demolished, the tramway had been lifted, the pit at its NW end had been abandoned and the coke kilns were out of use, although one of the buildings there was still roofed. There had, however, been some development since the middle of the century, as the 2nd edition map (ibid) depicts three spoil tips spaced alongside the dismantled tramway to the NW of the kilns (NS 8636 7453, NS 8643 7451 and NS 8647 7444; CSW 4402-4).
The line of the tramway is still clearly visible for most of its length. Nothing is visible, in a cultivated field, of the pit at its NW end (CSW 441), but the three bings shown on the 2nd edition beside the tramway do survive (CSW 4402-4). To the E of the ovens (for which see NS87SE 14.01) there is no trace of the miners row, but one bing remains to the NE where the 1st edition map (ibid) depicted a group of spoil tips (CSW 4407).
(CSW 4401-7, 4225)
Visited by RCAHMS (SDB) 28 July 1992
