Gavieside No. 11 Pit

Overview

Young's Paraffin Light and Mineral Oil Company's shale pit at Gavieside, West Calder, sunk from 1867 to the Fells Shale at 777 feet to feed the Addiewell works. One of the company's oldest and largest pits, it lost four young miners in 1885 when the cage left its slides, and closed in 1901.

History

No. 11 pit, in the lands of Polbeth and standing in Gavieside village about three-quarters of a mile north-east of West Calder, was sunk from 1867, when the Addiewell Chemical Works advertised for contractors to take it down about 100 fathoms to the shale. It served Young's Addiewell works, and at various times its shafts raised the Houston coal at 402 feet, the Broxburn shale at 660 feet and the Fells shale at 777 feet. Its Fells shale workings ran north to join those of Westwood No. 30 pit.

In 1885 over 200 men and boys worked there, starting the week at one in the morning. On 16 March 1885 the eighth cage of the morning left its slides and dropped some thirty fathoms; four young miners were thrown to the bottom and killed (see Disasters, below). In February 1890 water burst in from the old workings of the West Calder Oil Company, flooding the lower workings of a pit employing over 300; one lad drowned, and its many outlets saved the rest. Electric pumps were installed in 1896.

In April 1901 the hundred men still working No. 11 were told to bring their tools to the surface, as the pit, one of the company's oldest and largest, was to close. The site has returned to farmland, with its bing a wooded mound.

Geology

Oil shale of the West Lothian field: the Broxburn shale at 660 feet and the Fells shale at 777 feet, with the Houston coal at 402 feet.

Workings

A vertical shaft or shafts reaching the Houston coal, Broxburn shale and Fells shale, with a cross-cut mine to the Polbeth No. 10 workings and a link through the Fells shale to Westwood No. 30. A steam pumping unit was put in about 1882 and an electric pumping plant in 1896.

Closure

Notice to close was given in April 1901, when about a hundred men still worked it. The abandonment plan of its Fells shale workings is dated 1900, quoted elsewhere as 1927.

What remains

The site has returned to agriculture; the waste bing remains as a wooded area within farmland.

The waste bing, now wooded.

Redevelopment

Returned to farmland.

Related mines

• Addiewell Oil Works — No. 11 pit served Young's Addiewell Chemical Works.

Disasters & major incidents

• Gavieside No. 11 Pit cage accident, 1885
  16 March 1885 · Winding / Shaft Accident · 4 fatalities
  Between six and seven on the morning of Monday 16 March 1885, the eighth cage lowered into No. 11 Gavieside shale pit at West Calder left its slides less than twenty fathoms down and jammed. The rope kept paying out until the cage broke free and dropped some thirty fathoms; four of the six young miners in it were thrown out and killed at the bottom of the shaft.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• The Fells shale workings were abandoned in 1900, or in 1927. (uncertain) ²

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• No. 11 Gavieside pit belonged to Young's Paraffin Light and Mineral Oil Company. ^1,2
• In October 1867 contractors were sought to sink No. 11 pit in the lands of Polbeth about 100 fathoms to the shale. ²
• Its shafts reached the Houston coal at 402 feet, the Broxburn shale at 660 feet and the Fells shale at 777 feet. ²
• The pit was between 90 and 100 fathoms deep in 1885. ¹
• Over 200 men and boys were employed in 1885. ¹
• Four miners were killed on 16 March 1885 when the cage left the slides in the shaft. ^1,2
• Notice of closure was given in April 1901. ²
• The Fells shale workings were abandoned in 1900, or in 1927. (uncertain) ²

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) Scottish Mining Website: Gavieside 1885 — Scottish Mining Website
2. (secondary) Scottish Shale: Polbeth No. 11 pit — Scottish Shale (Museum of the Scottish Shale Oil Industry)

Record created: 13 October 2026 · Last researched: 13 October 2026