2008
NX9618 : The New Quay and the Candlestick
taken 15 years ago, near to Whitehaven, Cumbria, England
The New Quay and the Candlestick
The Candlestick, so named because of its distinctive shape, is actually a ventilation shaft for the Wellington Coal Pit. It was sunk in 1838 and was in production until 1932. In 1910 136 miners were killed in this 'fiery' pit.
Comment from John Brown worked at the site 1968-70:
"The chimney is NOT a ventilation shaft, although since 1969, gas has been piped to it from the nearby No 3 shaft. It was the original boiler flue for Wellington until the new boilers were built lower down in the 1880s. It stood unused for almost 90 years until the closure of Harrington No 10 (linked through William and Wellington to Haig) presented a possible gas problem. The solution was to fill and seal 11 shafts and drifts but leave No 3 (sunk in 1905 on the old boiler house site) open but capped and pipe the gas through the old flue to the chimney."
Image classification
(about):
Geograph
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