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Haig Pit  - Whitehaven

Haig Pit was sunk during the first World War and existed as the last remaining deep shaft mine in Cumbria until its closure in 1986. During the first half century it suffered several major disasters leading to a considerable loss of life that, along with other Whitehaven mine disasters personally affected virtually everyone in the town.

There were still over a thousand men employed at Haig during the 1970's. The fight to win the coal had diminishing returns as the working face was forced further west, until at its closure the men had to travel over four miles beneath the Irish Sea.

Upon closure, most of the site was cleared for new industrial units and the winding house with its once magnificent engines fell into ruin. Once the roof had begun to let in the ferocious weather, and vandals had started to strip out anything of value, its fate seemed to be sealed. Fortunately a group of volunteers saved it from the brink. Fighting for grant aid and doing the work themselves, they turned the site into a museum, thus preserving remnants of a way of life that dominated Whitehaven for over 300 hundred years. The building is now a scheduled monument.

Engine house 5 shows the dilapidated state of the winding engines before restoration.

The great pistons  of the Bever Dorling engines have been restored to working order in hall 4.

The Museum

Entry to the Museum is Free and it is manned by knowledgeable and very enthusiastic staff. There is also a museum shop.

The engines in Hall 4 which hauled men 1200 ft below ground are now working again and can be demonstrated to visitors.

For further information visit their award winning web-site.

www.haigpit.com

The staff also do outreach education projects with locals schools such as a mining drama at the Victorian Fair.

The creation of the museum is part of the on-going restoration project. Future developments hope to include an underground mining experience, based in cellars at Haig, illustrating the history of life in Whitehaven's mines.

The Hunslet diesel engine - on loan to the museum has helped promote Haig pit at local events.

A model of New Houses - at their inception these were regarded as model housing for workers but due to later overcrowding, to support the mines, they became a notorious slum.