Documents

Where documents include maps, the use of this data is subject to terms and conditions (https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/termsandconditions).

The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.

• Type

  Legal Documents

  Title

  SM9016_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600013460)

Summary

Description

The monument consists of the head frame of the winding gear of the Mary Colliery at Lochore. The Colliery was first sunk by the Fife Coal Company in 1902, and named after Mrs Mary Carlow, who cut the first sod. The concrete frame, which is now the only upstanding relic of the colliery, belonged to the second shaft, which was sunk in 1923 as part of an attempt to solve ventilation problems as well as to improve productivity in the deeper seams.

Standing over a shaft of 280 fathoms, the frame was of particular significance as one of the first in the country to be constructed of reinforced concrete; the lifting gear was operated by an electric winding engine, now gone.

The colliery closed on 24 September 1966, having had an active life of over sixty years, ten more years than initially anticipated. The area disfigured by the surrounding coal workings was subsequently the subject of one of the first major exercises in land reclamation, to form the Lochore Meadows Recreational Park.

The head frame has been retained next to the first green of the golf course as a reminder of the industrial history of the site. The head frame itself was conserved in 1988-89.

The area to be scheduled is a circle of 55m diameter centred on the head frame. All surface features are excluded from the scheduling apart from the head frame itself.

Statement of National Importance

The monument is of national importance as one of the first reinforced concrete head frames to be built for the winding gear of a British colliery, and also as one of the few visible relics of coal mining in central Fife.

References

Bibliography

About Scheduled Monuments

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

We schedule sites and monuments that are found to be of national importance using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).

The format of scheduled monument records has changed over time. Earlier records will usually be brief. Some information will not have been recorded and the map will not be to current standards. Even if what is described and what is mapped has changed, the monument is still scheduled.

Scheduled monument consent is required to carry out certain work, including repairs, to scheduled monuments. Applications for scheduled monument consent are made to us. We are happy to discuss your proposals with you before you apply and we do not charge for advice or consent. More information about consent and how to apply for it can be found on our website at www.historicenvironment.scot.

Find out more about scheduling and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.