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Saline Valley Colliery Pit No.1

Steelend, Saline, Fife.

Ironstone pit (19th Century).

Part of the former Steelend Colliery (1846-1880s?).

"The Steelend district, to the east of Saline, has been worked from early times for ironstones and coals, and the various mines and coal pits appear to have changed ownership over the years. In September 1846, "The Scotsman" carried notices that the property of North Steelend - its lands and minerals - was for sale, and we believe that it was around this time that minerals began to be extracted on a truly 'commercial' basis, although it is clear that some coals and ironstones had been mined on neighbouring estates at an earlier time." [Fife Pits]

"The remains of several periods of mineral extraction extend for about 1km E from Dunnygask farmstead to the SE flank of Saline Hill and down to the public road. The colliery is named 'Steelend Mine' and annotated 'ironstone and coal pits' on the 1st edition of the OS 6-inch map (Fife & Kinross, 1856, sheet xxix). By the 2nd edition (1896, sheet xxxiii NE) the mine had developed into the Saline Valley Colliery (Pits 1-4); Pit No.1 is annotated as 'disused', various old levels, shafts, spoil heaps are also depicted. A further coal pit is shown as are a series of connecting tramways and railways. By this time, Pit No.2 was connected to the main railway system by a long branch-line from Dunfermline. This bifurcated W of Steelend goods station, one siding going to Pit No.2 and the other connecting with one of the tramways descending from coal pit...

... The tramway system had further connections running W-E across the face of the slope to Pit No.3 and traversing W to what is depicted on the 2nd ed. OS 6-inch map as an 'Old Shaft'. This map also shows Pit No.4 with either a trackway or tramway running over rough ground with a further possible tramway running S from 'Old Levels' to the W of Pit No.3. The depiction of the colliery on the 2nd, revised edition (1915) records considerable change. Only one colliery, Lethans (Pit No.2) remains, most of the other sites having become disused or are depicted as 'old shafts'." [Canmore, 1991]

Alternative Names: None recorded.

Notes: Marked on OS 25" map. 8 fig. coordinates derived from OS georeferencing tool (using geol. survey map).