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Bye Pit [St Monans]

Coalfarm, St Monans, Fife.

Mine (Coal), 18th cent.

Site of capped shaft below farm shed that was 60m-deep & connected to an older (18th century, or earlier) 106m 'Deep Pit' shaft on the opposite (N) side of the A197 road, now buried below the field. From the latter, a level extended NE that passes various areas of stoop-&-room workings (particularly just NW of the A917-B942 junction) which were mined from old pits now all buried below fields. Collapse of these old workings has resulted in lines of surface subsidence at various points between the Bye Pit & Pittenweem. See old mine plan (S2326) in refs. The shaft at the given coordinates is marked as an active Coal Pit on the OS map of 1855.

An underground fire at the colliery severely reduced production in 1794. The colliery operated ca. 1771 for the purpose of fuelling local salt pans, nine of which were built at St Monans where a windmill-powered pump moved seawater to be heated by coal fires (see Fife Pits website).

Alternative Names: None recorded.

Notes: Name shown on 1789 mine plan. Given coordinates based on MRA map.

Hydrographic Feeds: None

Hydrographic Resurgences: None