MineArchiveRoman Camp No. 4 Pit
| Also known as | Loaninghill No. 4 Pit |
|---|---|
| Location | North of the Edinburgh to Bathgate railway, south-east of Middleton Hall, Uphall, West Lothian — 55.9254, -3.4970 (approximate) |
| Commodity | Oil Shale |
| Type | Mineral |
| Worked | c. 1906–1926 |
| Operators | Broxburn Oil Company Ltd (owner) — Owner of the Roman Camp group in DMM's lists, which give No. 4's employment 1915-1923 Scottish Oils Ltd (owner) — The combine that took in the Broxburn company; its managing director reported on No. 4 in 1924-25 (Scottish Shale) |
Overview
A shale pit north of the Edinburgh to Bathgate railway near Uphall, first called Loaninghill, sunk about 1906 into the small Stankards basin of Broxburn Shale and worked for Roman Camp Oil Works until the seam was practically exhausted in 1926.
History
Roman Camp No. 4 Pit, first known as Loaninghill No. 4, worked the Stankards basin, a small, restricted area of Broxburn Shale north of the Edinburgh to Bathgate railway near Uphall. The western side of the basin had been worked from Stankards No. 1 Pit, abandoned in 1873. In 1906 the Geological Survey noted a new pit being sunk to the Broxburn Shale a short distance south-east of Middleton Hall, where the seam dips at about fifteen degrees. Hutches of shale went by a tramway passing beneath the railway to Roman Camp Oil Works.
No. 4 employed 113 in 1915, 74 in 1920 and 65 in 1923, working the Broxburn group of shales; the Fells Shale was tapped from the same pit and found not worth working. In the mid-1920s a crush troubled the workings: in June 1924 Scottish Oils' managing director reported the roof still giving trouble and raising costs, and in June 1925 a severe crush on the north side. By 1926 the seam had been practically worked out, and the workings in the Broxburn, Curly, Grey and Fells shales were abandoned that year. The site is now a contractor's yard beside the remains of the Uphall Oil Works bing.
Geology
The Broxburn Shales of the Stankards basin, a small isolated area dipping at about fifteen degrees, in the Pumpherston shale-field; the Fells Shale below was proved but not worth working.
Workings
A vertical shaft, with what appears to be a second shaft to the west between two bings on the Ordnance Survey of about 1916; a tramway under the railway to Roman Camp Oil Works.
Closure
The seam was practically worked out by 1926, when the workings were abandoned.
What remains
A contractor's yard.
Related mines
- Roman Camp No. 3 Mine — Both were Broxburn Oil Company workings supplying Roman Camp Oil Works.
Nearby mines
- Holmes Mine — 0.6 miles (1.0 km) SE
- Roman Camp No. 3 Mine — 0.7 miles (1.1 km) SE
- Pumpherston No. 4 Mine — 0.9 miles (1.4 km) S
- Roman Camp No. 1 Mine — 0.9 miles (1.4 km) SE
- Roman Camp No. 5 Mine — 0.9 miles (1.4 km) S
Straight-line distance, within 9 miles (15 km). Show on the map.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- No. 4 worked the Stankards basin, a restricted area of Broxburn Shale north of the Edinburgh to Bathgate railway, previously worked from Stankards No. 1 Pit. 1
- No. 4 employed 113 in 1915, 74 in 1920 and 65 in 1923. 2
- A crush troubled the roof in 1924 and a severe crush was felt on the north side of the mine in 1925. 1
- The workings were abandoned in 1926, by which time the seam was practically worked out. 1,3
Photographs & further reading
The Museum of the Scottish Shale Oil Industry's page for this mine, with maps, plans, site photographs and newspaper extracts.
View sourceSources
- (secondary) Roman Camp No.4 pit (Scottish Shale, Museum of the Scottish Shale Oil Industry) — Almond Valley Heritage Trust
- (primary) Roman Camp (Oil Shale) (Durham Mining Museum) — Durham Mining Museum
- (primary) BGS mine plan: ROMAN CAMP NO.4, Broxburn, Curly, Grey and Fells seams, abandoned 1926 — British Geological Survey / Mining Remediation Authority
Record created: 25 October 2026 · Last researched: 25 October 2026