Haig Colliery Mining Museum History Introduction | Visitor Information | West Cumbria Attractions

The West Cumberland coal field extends from just south of Whitehaven, northward to Maryport. The coal measures extend inland in the southern part, for about three to five miles, and to the west extend out beneath the Solway Firth.

Although a small field by national standards, it was highly faulted, causing a great many problems for the miners. The coal however was of very high quality. It was laid down during the Wesphalian epoch of the Carboniferous Era, about 320 to 290 million years ago. At this time, the Caledonian Mountains, of which the Lakeland Fells are a remnant, lay near to the equator. Whitehaven was an area of tropical rain forest and delta swamp, whose plant remains form the coal.

The first references to coal mining in the area can be found in the records of the priory at St Bee's. A charter shows that coal mines had been established in the Arrowthwaite area of Kells, as early as the late 13th century. These were only small workings on the outcrop, to supply the local domestic need. It was not until 1630, when the lands passed into the control of Sir Christopher Lowther, that the coal field began to be commercially developed. In 1634, he built a pier for exporting coal in the "village" of Whitehaven, which at that time had a population of less than 250.

Through the next 350 years, mining continued with major inventions and developments in coal mining techniques being initiated in the local mines. Haig was sunk for the Whitehaven Colliery Company Ltd between 1914 and 1918, to exploit the reserves between Ladysmith Pit, to the south and Wellington Pit, to the north. It is thought the name is in honour of General Sir Douglas Haig, Commander-in-Chief of the British Forces at that time.

As the company already had shafts numbered one, two, and three at Wellington Pit, the Haig shafts were numbered four and five. They were sunk by a local contractor, James Johnstone & Co to a depth of 1200 feet. No.4 shaft (18 feet diameter) was used for men and materials. While No.5 (21 feet diameter) wound only coal. An old shaft at Thwaite Pit nearby, sunk in 1737, was enlarged in 1939 and used as an emergency shaft and ventilation return.

Haig was designed to incorporate the latest safety features and working practices to comply with the legislation of the day. Even so, fire damp (methane) still proved to be a major problem underground. An accident can only be claimed as a disaster if ten or more men are killed. While Haig suffered three disasters, there were numerous accidents even up to the final years of the colliery.

All was not gloom however. During the life of the pit many advances were made in the haulage and ventilation systems, the largest in the country at the time with a capacity of 300,000 cubic feet a minute. This was ample to cope with the 2,000,000 cubic feet of gas a day produced from the coal faces.

During the late 1970's further improvements were made to the haulage system. Conveyors were installed along the roadway and No.5 shaft was converted to skip winding. Diesel engined FSV's (Free Steering Vehicles) were lowered down the shaft in pieces and re-built at the shaft bottom, the first mine in the county where this had been attempted. The improvements over 1975-76 cost in excess of £2,000,000.

With the closure of the Bannock Band, the coking coal for Workington Steel was no longer available and the bulk of the output was destined for Fiddlers Ferry Power Station. When in 1983, a major fault was encountered, the future of the pit was in serious doubt. This, combined with the political situation at the time and the consequences of the miners strike, caused a run down at the colliery. A reduced workforce began an effort to open a new face, but a decision had been taken, and after two years of recovery work, Haig finally closed on March 31st 1986.

The shafts were capped. Baths, lamp room, coal wash and other buildings were demolished, and the surrounding land was landscaped to form the Haig Enterprise Park, consisting of small industrial units intended to provide employment and a place to invest redundancy money to start small businesses. Only the winding engine house, No.5 headgear and the workshops remained. The workshops however, were used by the Enterprise Park. The site then lay derelict, suffering from vandals, pigeons, and the worst of the Kells weather.

Listed building status was granted in 1987 which undoubtedly saved the building from demolition, but unfortunately did not slow the deterioration. Scheduled Monument status has now been granted by English Heritage. Only one of 300 coal sites out of an estimated 10,000 in England alone. With the approval of grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the European Regional Development Fund, Haig's unique steam winding engines and long term future are now hopefully secure for at least another eighty years and more.

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