Southrigg No. 3 & 4 pits

Parish:

Whitburn, Linlithgowshire

Local authority:

West Lothian

Ownership:

The United Collieries Ltd.

Opened:

c.1900 ?

Closed:

1939

Current status of site:

Bing landscaped as a community park

1924 - employing 406 underground and 88 surface workers; manager, Wm Brown
1938 - employing 320 underground and 75 surface workers; manager, Wm Hendry
1944 - employing 8 surface workers; manager, John Watson

Location map

25" OS map c.1914, courtesy National Library of Scotland

1:2500 OS map c.1956, courtesy National Library of Scotland

aerial view

lidar view

22-07-22

22-07-22

22-07-22

22-07-22

Newspaper references

Some months ago United Collieries Ltd. closed down their Southrigg pits at Harthill. In this field the strata are very undulating leading to a multiplicity of pumps - one pit has now fewer than 30. On account of the long undulating roads it was decided to stop Southrigg and sink another pit to the westward.

Coatbridge Express 9th August 1939

.......

Mr Arthur C. Strathie, chairman United Collieries Ltd, at the annual general meeting of the company held in Glasgow, said that they hoped to be drawing coal within two or three months at a new mie being opened up in the Harthill area. This will help to nulify the hardships to the miners following the closing of Southrigg colliery last year.

Midlothian Advertiser 5th April 1940