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Quarrying and mining must have
been among the early industries in the district. The original plan of the
town shows whin and freestone quarries in existence in 1782. These were
located near what is now Quarry Street and the area behind the High Church
was once known as Quarry Park.
Coal had been mined in the Quarrelton and Auchenlodment areas for
centuries, written records date as far back as 1634. Bv modern standards
however the workings were primitive and not very extensive. A report about
1790 mentions 30 pickmen and 12 horses below ground, an annual output of
20,000 tons and the coal raised by a horse gin worked above around.
Moreover, there are no great "bings' as we see in milling areas proper,
though there is pit spill in several parts of the castle policies. The
coal would be used for domestic purposes and for the burning of lime.
There was at one time a row of very old houses called the 'old kilns'
situated between Thornside Road and Miller Street.
The 'coal road' shown on the original plan of the town seems to wend its
way from Quarrelton to the bridge, indicating that much of the coal passed
that way.
The accompanying sketch map shows the outcrop of the Quarrelton coal. In
the vicinity of Johnstone Castle, the seam is 40 to 50 ft. thick and
reaches the astonishing thickness of 100 ft. constituting perhaps the
thickest accumulation of coal in Britain. (H.M.Geological Survey.) The
last considerable working took place at Benson pit which closed down in
1860.
after serious flooding of the workings. Mining operations in these parts
were always difficult and dangerous due to flooding, and the liability to
spontaneous combustion. Some of the shafts were known as 'in-gone-ees';
that is, inclined opening sloping down to the 'face'. We hear of visitors
'walking' down to inspect the mine.
The coal was of a mediocre quality. Since 1860 several attempts were made
to work the coal. The National Coal Board even had a look at the area, but
decided, that in spite of the great thickness of the seam. the development
would not be a profitable proposition. |