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1989
BO'NESS HERITAGE TRUST
As most Bo'nessians will
know, the town was once
Scotland's second port ( and
reported as such by the 17th
century novelist and English
spy Daniel Defoe!), Bo'ness
had local industries such as
coal mining, iron founding,
salt panning, whaling,
chemicals, potteries and
timber which brought
prosperity in the 18th and
19th Centuries when there
was a great trade with the
Baltic ports and the
Netherlands. It's history
forms a microcosm of
Scotland's Industrial
Revolution and international
success. The Bo'ness Fair
is an institution which is a
major part of the history of
the town and is an excellent
example of ' living heritage
'.
The aim of the Trust is to
bring to life the history of
the industry and living
conditions of not just
Bo'ness but the whole Forth
Valley by preserving and
displaying buildings,
machines etc. by the
creation of a 1920s Township
on the foreshore site
adjacent to the steam
railway museum and at other
locations in the town and
surrounding area. It is
recognised by the Inland
Revenue as a Charity.
Birkhill Clay Mine
The first attraction to be
opened to the public has
been the fireclay mine at
Birkhill. The main access
to the mine is by the
Scottish Railway
Preservation Society's steam
operated railway from
Bo'ness Station, a distance
each way of about 3.5
miles. It is felt that the
combination of the ride on a
traditional steam train and
the exciting tour of the
underground workings will
form a popular attraction
for both locals and visitors
alike and certainly
something well worth taking
friends and relatives to
when they come back to see
the 'folks at home' in
Bo'ness!
The clay mine is a maze of
passageways extending to
about 6 miles in total -
fireclay was extracted on
the ' stoop and room '
system until the mine was
closed in 1980. A CP scheme
( using in part miners from
Kinneil Colliery ) has made
the mine suitable for public
access by clearing the
passages on the tour route,
putting down gravel paths in
the mine and constructing a
new cable operated incline
railway.
Getting the mine ready for
opening has required a lot
of support from many
organisations ranging from
the two local authorities
who have supported the
Heritage Trust from the
outset, national
organisations like the
Scottish Development Agency
and the former Manpower
Services Commission to local
industry, particularly B.P.
which gave some financial
support for the project and
ICI who have provided
much-valued practical
assistance by making the
installation of underground
lighting a project for their
two top final year
apprentices. They have now
installed the new lighting
system throughout the mine,
which includes festoon
lighting in the route to be
followed by the public and
special effects lighting,
such as spotlights, on
features of particular
interest. Three points have
also been installed for
supplies to audio- visual
equipment.
An unusual opportunity arose
to use the mine came late in
1988 when the BBC came to
Birkhill to film for a new 3
part documentary on " The
Scottish Miner ". Produced
by Billy Kay, the series
will show the Miner through
history. Birkhill has
proved to be an excellent
location for filming
purposes, since it is
classified as a ' naked
light ' mine, which means
that no special equipment is
necessary to permit filming
underground. Broadcasting
of the series was scheduled
for Spring 1989.
Display boards, 26 in
number, are placed along the
route both on the surface
and underground. Subjects
covered include everything
from a welcome to the Mine,
through the workings of the
fireclay milling plant, to
aspects of underground
working and the Ancient
Woodland and Meadow. Some
of them incorporate
photographs, which introduce
both colour and interest.
Care has been taken to have
those which will be sited on
the Incline down to the Mine
Mouth in a shade of green,
so that they will not
intrude visually on the very
attractive view of the Avon
Gorge, parts of which are
classified as a Site of
Special Scientific Interest
( SSSI ).
A tableau and AV displays
are being produced for use
underground. The latter
will describe the geology of
the mine and the uses of
fireclay, and the tableau
will have an old miner
discussing working in the
Clay Mine with a youngster
who has just started work.
The 1920s Township
Work started in 1987 at the
site of the old timber basin
on what will be the biggest
and most exciting project
for the Trust - the
recreation of a Scottish
industrial township as it
may have appeared in the
Forth Valley in the 1920s.
It's street, buildings,
closes, wynds and backlands
will form an interesting and
educational centrepiece,
bringing visitors into
direct contact with the
authentic living conditions
of 60 years ago. This work
has been made easier by a
recent Ground Stabilisation
exercise by the Scottish
Development Agency to enable
buildings to be put up on
the site of the timber basin
without the use of
complicated foundations.
The first building to be
completed is ' Hamilton's
Cottage ' which used to be
located near Avon Place and
has ' taken up its bed and
walked '; other buildings to
follow in the future include
a Co-op from Stenhousemuir,
a stables and possibly a
small cinema.
A key part of the Township
Project is to provide a good
permanent home for the '
Museum of Communication '.
This began in 1973 and a
huge collection of national
importance has been
accumulated by Trust member
Harry Matthews. It has
grown in size and scope and
now includes thousands of
items covering many of the
fields of communication -
printing, television,
telephone, film, computers,
radar, wireless, newspapers,
gramophone, satellite.
Within the 1920s Township,
the aim is to show the
development of all these
fields and tell a story
which touches each and every
one of us every minutes of
every day - the story of
communication.
Creating the Township may
take 10 or 15 years and all
sorts of help is needed -
financial, of course, but
also help in kind, donations
of artefacts - from a
biscuit tin to a whole
building are all welcome!
Friends of Bo'ness Heritage
As a first step if you are
interested in what the Trust
is doing, please do consider
joining our support
organisation, the ' Friends
of Bo'ness Heritage'. In
addition to having the
opportunity to take a direct
part in the Trust's
projects, the ' Friends '
have a social calendar with
meetings, film shows and
special outings, and also
receive both a regular
newsletter and news updates
on the activities of the
Trust. Both locals and '
Bo'nessians in exile ' are
equally welcome and
membership costs only £5.00
a year with special rates of
£3.00 for the unwaged and
£8.00 for families. If you
are overseas, an additional
contribution to defray
postage costs would be
greatly appreciated.
Bo'ness Heritage Trust, 86A
North Street, BO'NESS, West
Lothian. EH51 9NF
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