Hut mines and quarry

Parish:

Uphall, Linlithgowshire

Local authority:

West Lothian

Seams worked:

Broxburn Shale

Opened:

Both old and new mines opened pre-1883

Closed:

Old mine closed 1890, new mine closed 1912

Current status of site:

Wooded waste ground

Regional overview:

Mines in the Broxburn area

Inclined adit

Serving Broxburn Oil Works

Inclined mines that followed the Broxburn Shales westwards from their outcrop on the western arm of the Broxburn anticline. It appears that the shale was subsequently quarried along the line of the outcrop, the extent of this opencast working increasing between successive editions of OS map in1896 and 1916.

Mineral Statistics (see below) for 1883 record that Alex Kennedy was manager of Hut (old) and Hut (new) mines, both non-fiery mines working the Broxburn shale by stoop and room, and ventilated by steam.

Hut (old) mine with down and upcast shafts measuring 6'x6' and 9'x6' respectively
Hut (new mine) with down and upcast shafts measuring 10'x5' and 9'x6' respectively, employing 17 men above and 53 below ground, and having a history of one fatality and five injuries

The 1884 report records similar details by notes injuries to six persons.

Shale-field: Broxburn district.

Mapped by the Ordnance Survey of c.1896, following closure of the mine, presumably located within the area marked "old shale pit".

Location & workings at Hut mines & quarry

Detailed maps

Hut Mines & Quarry - 25" OS map c.1896, courtesy National Library of Scotland

Hut Mines & Quarry - 25" OS map c.1916, courtesy National Library of Scotland

Hut Mines & Quarry - 1:2,500 OS map c.1955, courtesy National Library of Scotland

Hut Mines & Quarry - Aerial, courtesy National Library of Scotland

Recent images

Area of trees and shrub, marking the site of Hut mine and opencast. Looking east. June 2013.

View from Greendykes bing onto shub and trees on the site of Hut mine and opencast. Looking south west. June 2012.

Slope into the opencast workings. Looking east. May 2013.

Remains of reservoir immedialey to the north of the opencast workings. Looking north. May 2013.

Mineral statistics

During much of the Victorian period, Her Majesty's Inspectors of Mines produced an annual report to the Secretary of State recording the output of coal and other minerals, plus a variety of associated statistics, including a list of mines. The format and detail of these "Mineral Statistics" varied considerably, each Mine Inspector compiling a report of this own area according to his own style. Scotland was served by two mines inspectors; being divided into eastern and western districts.

The most detailed of these reports provide substantial information on each pit, including details of shafts, ventilation and methods of working, and the number employed at each site. Others provide little more than name of the pit, the owner, and the seam worked. Mineral Statistics for certain years have been digitised in full and are available through www.archive.org., others are available, for a fee as Google books, and some have been partly transcribed (to varying degrees of accuracy) and made available through various mines research sites. Our museum holds a number of annual Mineral Statistics from the 1880's.

External references

Coal Authority Mine Abandonment Catalogue No. 2492, showing workings in the Curly and Broxburn Shale from Hut Mine, abandoned in 1890.
Coal Authority Mine Abandonment Catalogue No. 5823, showing workings in the Grey, Curly and Broxburn Shale from Hut Mine, abandoned in 1912.