We Were Once a Mining Community by Eddie Elwood (March 1999)
A strange, yet eerie, phenomenon is occurring throughout Lanarkshire. This area was once renowned for it's steel and mining industries, both of which have disappeared over the years. Now, once again, the area is echoing with sounds of not-so-distant machinery and the roads are increasingly busy with lorries hauling coal from the massive opencast sites that are springing up all around.
Newmains almost appears to be a centre point for these multiple mining operations. This may be the imaginings of an ill-informed by-stander, but distancing one's self from the object can create a different perspective and enable us to observe things from a wider angle. With this in mind, please take a step back and arrive at your own conclusions. Only then can you begin to consider if this is for better or worse.
As a starting point we have, theoretically, pinned a piece of string to the middle of Newmains roundabout. "How long is the piece of string?" I hear you all ask, well let's just find out!
From Newmains, we can create a circle of associated workings. Closest, and most apparent, is Morningside. This area is currently being open cast and could, theoretically, head in the general directions of Carluke and Bonkle, behind which are Allanton, Shotts, Forth and Harthill.
In Newmains, itself, we hear of the future developments being discussed for the site located on the old 'bing' area situated between Westwood Road and Bonkle Road. The site access will, potentially, be from Bonkle Road around about the entrance to what used to be Newmains Railway station. Part of this area has already been opencast. Proposals have been drawn up which, if given the go ahead, would mean the creation of private, sheltered and special housing plus a host of potential employment opportunities within the leisure industry. Plans show proposals for a multi-screen cinema, major food-chain supermarket, hot food takeaway/drive-through, an art and crafts centre and the construction of a new bowling club. Along with a few other proposals, this suggested development could link Bonkle Road with Abernethyn Road.
We all agree that some sort of regeneration plan is needed for this area but what of the existing commercial properties in Manse Road? Already we have seen the major loss of the local Clydesdale bank. The building remains empty. Ironically, having been taken over by the Bank of Scotland, the former Coltness Memorial Halls remain derelict and potentially dangerous..
Opencast coal mining has been carried out at the old washer plant on Overtown Road. This part of the road, in the past, was particularly hazardous because of flooding and drifting smoke. In Main Street, Newmains the road has, on occasions, collapsed, possibly owing to old underground mine workings.
Going back on the trail of coal, we need look no further than Morningside. Already the land on both sides of the Morningside Road lies open and we hear now of further developments which could facilitate the re-opening of the old 'Rat Pit' road at Chapel. It has been suggested that rail-tracks be laid for the removal of the newly dug coal deposits. As you may know, the 'Rat Pit', or Chapel Road used to continue on around to Bogside.
The roads behind Morningside link up the farmlands of Carluke, Bonkle and Allanton. Allanton has already seen the arrival of the opencast. It has gone through from Dura Road all the way up to Shotts, heading in the directions of both the Forth and Harthill. Many inhabitants of that area campaigned to prevent the work going ahead. At one point, plans were called to a halt yet, still, the mining companies moved in. As many will know, Dura Road continues all the way round to Morningside, Bogside, Law and Carluke. The Forestry land adjacent to the ruins of Dura Kirk head out across the moors to the Forth, all farmland, all part of the former mining communities.
Crossing to the other side of Bonkle, we first reach the estates of Murdostoun Castle. Here too we see the work of the opencast. At various points across the former estate the machinery and heavy goods vehicles can be seen. Cutting along the Murdostoun Road, we swing round into Bellside and Cleland areas. This leads us to Carlisle Road, which adjoins Westwood Road in Newmains. Anyone can spot the tell-tale signs of the mining operations. They continue out almost to Newhouse. On this same site we witnessed the landslide which took with it a pylon and our main electricity supply.
Let me ask you a few pertinent questions.
(1) How much does it cost for a tonne of coal?
(2) How much coal has been lifted from this one, small area in the past couple of years?
(3) How many local jobs were created?
(4) How much of the estimated, cumulative wealth was re-invested into the area?
(5) What will the community eventually gain from it?
(6) Who, exactly, owns the lands of Lanarkshire?
There are genuine arguments both for and against these opencast mining projects. It can be seen as a way of generating wealth for re-investment and as a means to preparing the land for future re-development. Re-development brings an increase in employment opportunities. Coal is a natural, fossil fuel, if it is readily available and we should utilise it's potential. Why should we buy-in what we can produce adequately on our own back-door step?
On the other hand, country roads can become dangerous with the increase in heavy traffic and land is temporarily destroyed. The industry can appear to be pointed towards private financial gain as opposed to helping a community. Not that many jobs are created locally so the generated income is not available for filtering into the local economy. A few people may even simply accept the inevitability of what is termed 'progress', whilst the environmentalists and preservationists are distraught at the loss of particular landmarks, historic sites or wildlife habitats. Our individual, personal thoughts on these matters are not considered. Whether we like it or not, mining is the area once more.
Finally, in possible explanation of why there are, and have been, so many mining operations in a given area, (there were over 150 active pits, mines and collieries worked under the Coal Mines Regulation Act in Lanarkshire in 1896), did you know about the local fault lines? (Yes, as associated with land movements and volcanoes!) These geographic 'faults' are what determines the type of mining carried out. As an example we can use the old Cathburn coal mine in comparison to Kingshill pit. Kingshill had to be a pit to go the depth it needed to retrieve the coal in that area. The reason…?
Kingshill is on the other side of the fault line!