Roman Camp No. 7 Mine

Overview

A shale mine opened by Scottish Oils near Uphall in 1937 to raise production for the Second World War, which sent its Dunnet Shale by tramway to Roman Camp No. 6 and closed in 1951.

History

Roman Camp No. 7 Mine was one of the new mines developed to raise shale production for the Second World War. Opened in 1937 near Uphall, it worked the Dunnet Shale and sent its output by tramway to Roman Camp No. 6 Mine, from where it went on to the Roman Camp crude oil works. It employed 94 in 1940 and 86 in 1948.

Its workings in the Dunnet Shale were abandoned in 1951. An Aerofilms photograph of August 1952 shows the site soon after closure; it is now occupied by a private house.

Geology

The Dunnet Shale of the Pumpherston shale-field.

Workings

An inclined adit; a tramway to Roman Camp No. 6 Mine.

Closure

Workings abandoned in 1951.

What remains

The mine site is occupied by a private residence.

Related mines

• Roman Camp No. 6 Mine — No. 7's shale was taken by tramway to Roman Camp No. 6 Mine.

Recorded claims

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

• Roman Camp No. 7 Mine was opened in 1937 to boost shale production for the Second World War. ¹
• Its shale was taken by tramway to Roman Camp No. 6 Mine. ¹
• No. 7 employed 94 in 1940 and 86 in 1948. ²
• Its workings in the Dunnet Shale were abandoned in 1951. ¹
• The abandonment plan of Roman Camp No. 7 in the Dunnet shale is dated 1951. ³

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) Roman Camp No.7 mine (Scottish Shale, Museum of the Scottish Shale Oil Industry) — Almond Valley Heritage Trust
2. (primary) Roman Camp (Oil Shale) (Durham Mining Museum) — Durham Mining Museum
3. (primary) BGS mine plan: ROMAN CAMP NO.7, Dunnet, abandoned 1951 — British Geological Survey / Mining Remediation Authority

Record created: 25 October 2026 · Last researched: 25 October 2026