Scottish shale Scottish shale

Cousland No.1 mine

Parish:
Livingston, Linlithgowshire
Local authority:
West Lothian
Seams worked:
Broxburn Shale
Opened:
Pre-1896
Closed:
Closed 1901?, abandoned 1912?
Current status of site:
Waste water treatment plant. No trace of surface workings survive
Regional overview:
Mines in the Seafield, Cousland, and Boghall area

cousland1mine1.jpg

Inclined adit

Serving Seafield Crude Oil Works

Cousland No.1 Mine lay about 800m north east of Seafield Crude Oil Works and was linked by a tramway. Workings in the Broxburn Shale dipped to the south west.

A plan in the museum collection (see drawings) shows limited workings in the Broxburn Shale that appear to coincide with those of Cousland No. 1, and may represent a preliminary phase of working.

Shale-field: Cousland and Seafield shale-field.

Mapped by the Ordnance Survey of c.1895, showing Cousland No. 1 in operation. It is unclear whether the "shaft" is associated with No. 1 or with earlier workings.

  • Location & workings at Cousland No.1 mine

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  • Detailed maps

    • Recent images

    cousland1mineRECENT2.jpg cousland1mineRECENT1.jpg
  • Newspaper references

      • The Pumpherston Oil Company have posted a notice at their Seafield Works intimating to the shale miners that No.1 Cousland Mine will be closed on Saturday first. A considerable number of men will be thrown idle by this, but the manager has consented to give as many as possible work in the other mine. The oncostmen however, will have to leave the district, as work cannot be found for them. The industrial outlook in the Lothians is not at all bright at present.

      Falkirk Herald, 8th March 1902

  • External references

      • The Coal Authority mine abandonment catalogue list the following shale workings from Cousland:

      • Coal Authority Mine Abandonment Catalogue No. 1371, showing workings in the Houston Coal and Fells Shale from Cousland, abandoned in 1881.
      • Coal Authority Mine Abandonment Catalogue No. S4841, showing workings in the Broxburn, Dunnet and Fells Shale from Cousland, abandoned in 1901.
      • Coal Authority Mine Abandonment Catalogue No. 5910, showing workings in the Broxburn Shale from Cousland No. 1, abandoned in 1912.
      • Coal Authority Mine Abandonment Catalogue No. 6091, showing workings in the Pattison, Dunnet and Upper Dunnet Shales from Cousland No. 2, abandoned in 1913.

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