Hugo Pit, Coaltown of Wemyss

Overview

A Wemyss estate pit sunk in 1872-73 to about 50 fathoms on the high ground above West Wemyss, joined by an inclined tunnel to the Victoria Pit and the harbour from 1875 and later by rail to Lochhead; after coaling ended about 1904 it served as the Hugo Depot, stockpiling the Victoria's coal for Methil Docks.

History

The Hugo Pit was sunk in 1872-73 to close on 50 fathoms on high land above West Wemyss, south of the village of Coaltown of Wemyss, on the Wemyss estate. An inclined tunnel was dug from it to the little harbour at West Wemyss, down which hutches of coal were lowered on a double-track rope-worked plane of 25 inches gauge, and from about 1875 the tunnel joined the Hugo underground to the Victoria Pit at the shore; the harbour was enlarged in 1872-73 at the same time. The pit began on the Parrot and Wood seams, later took the Bowhouse and in 1882 the Dysart Main, and in 1874 had a downcast and an upcast shaft of 299 feet each. Its workforce is recorded only with the Victoria and Lady pits, 278 underground and 69 on the surface in 1874 and 212 and 63 in 1882 under the manager William Carey and then A. Crookston; in 1890 it had 43 underground and 9 on the surface and furnace ventilation.

In 1891 to 1893 the Wemyss estate railway was extended south from the Lady Lilian pit, later Lochhead, to reach the Hugo, which until then had reached West Wemyss only through the tunnel, giving a choice of sending coal down the tunnel for export, by rail to local coal yards or on to Methil Docks. Coaling at the Hugo probably ceased about 1904, and by 1910 it was more a working shaft than a real pit: coal from the Victoria was stored at what had become the Hugo Depot, and when the Victoria stopped exporting from West Wemyss in 1915 its coal was stockpiled there in large bings. About 1918, when output at Lochhead was also reduced, the Victoria's coal, brought up at Lochhead, was added to the piles. The tunnel to the Victoria was apparently given up in 1918, though it was not sealed, for public safety, until 1973. RAILSCOT dates the Hugo Pit 1872 to 1920, and the Wikipedia history of the Wemyss Private Railway says the Hugo pit closed in the years after the First World War, when output had fallen and several pits were closing. In the 1980s the rubble of the demolished pit buildings could still be seen, overgrown, a short distance from the main road by a small clump of trees.

Geology

Began on the Parrot and Wood seams and later worked the Bowhouse and the Dysart Main; the 1874 returns give downcast and upcast shafts of 299 feet.

Workings

A pit of about 50 fathoms with a rope-worked inclined tunnel to the Victoria Pit and the shore, later a rail link north to the Lady Lilian (Lochhead) pit and Methil Docks; furnace ventilation in 1890.

Closure

Coaling probably stopped about 1904 and the site then served as the Hugo Depot; RAILSCOT dates the pit 1872 to 1920 and the Wemyss Private Railway history has the pit closing in the years after the First World War. The tunnel to the Victoria was abandoned about 1918 and sealed in 1973.

What remains

Unknown.

Redevelopment

Unknown.

Related mines

• Lochhead Colliery — The Wemyss estate railway linked the Hugo to the Lady Lilian (Lochhead) pit in 1891 to 1893.
• Victoria Pit, West Wemyss — The Hugo was joined to the Victoria Pit by an underground tunnel about 1875 and its depot held the Victoria's coal.

What's uncertain

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

• RAILSCOT dates the pit 1872 to 1920, where Fife Pits has coaling ceasing about 1904. (disputed) ^1,3

Recorded claims

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

• The Hugo Pit was sunk about 1873 to close on 50 fathoms south of the village of Coaltown of Wemyss. ¹
• RAILSCOT gives the Hugo Pit as opened in 1872, and the Wemyss Private Railway history says it became productive in 1872-73. ^2,3
• An inclined tunnel with a double-track rope-worked plane of 25 inches gauge led from the Hugo down to West Wemyss harbour. ^2,3
• The Hugo was linked by an underground tunnel to the Victoria Pit to the south about 1875. ^1,3
• In 1891 to 1893 the Wemyss estate railway was extended south from the Lady Lilian pit to reach the Hugo, which had previously reached West Wemyss only through the tunnel. ^2,1
• The Hugo began on the Parrot and Wood seams, with the Bowhouse recorded in 1880 and the Dysart Main in 1882. ¹
• Coaling probably ceased about 1904, and from about 1910 the pit acted as the Hugo Depot, where coal from the Victoria Pit was stored and from which it was sent to Methil Docks. ¹
• The tunnel up to the Hugo Pit was apparently given up in 1918 and was sealed off in 1973. ¹
• RAILSCOT dates the pit 1872 to 1920, where Fife Pits has coaling ceasing about 1904. (disputed) ^1,3

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) Fife Pits: Hugo Pit (Depot), Coaltown of Wemyss — Fife Pits
2. (secondary) Wemyss Private Railway — Wikipedia
3. (secondary) Wellesley Colliery Hugo Pit (RAILSCOT) — RAILSCOT

Record created: 30 September 2026 · Last researched: 30 September 2026