IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
MAYBOLE, KA19 8LU

Dalquharran School was built at Wallacetown around 1906 by the coal-owners who were aware of their responsibilities to the workforce. In 1896, Dalquharran Estate employed over 110 people at the pit, most of them working underground and some on the surface. The school closed in 1926.

The name Burninghill Wood comes from an incident in 1749 when a pit here collapsed and caught fire. The heat began to burn the surrounding coal leading to an underground fire that lasted into the 1880s. Steam and smoke were often seen at surface. Another part of the valley side, 2-3 miles away, is also called Burning Hill and marks the other end of the same incident. There’s still a smell of tar in Glenshalloch Wood in Image

This is not really a wood, just some scrubby trees and bushes on an old colliery site. The name gives a clue to its history. The workings at this site collapsed in 1749, leading to a serious underground fire. Ignition came from an underground furnace, which was there to create a draught for pit ventilation. The collapsed timbers caught fire first at a depth of 200 feet, followed by the pit head frame on the surface. The coal dust ignited, then the coal near the surface and finally the reserves below ground level. The fire spread along the hill underground and lasted into the 1880s in spite of attempts to close it down and flood it. Steam and gases filtered up to the surface until the early 20th century. There’s still a smell of tar in Glenshalloch Wood in Image

The name Burning Hill Wood comes from an incident here in 1749 when the pit collapsed and caught fire. The heat began to burn the surrounding coal leading to an underground fire that spread as far as Tradunnock Hill in NS 2904 and lasted into the 1880s. Occasional bursts of steam and smoke were still being seen at surface in the early 20th century.

The OS maps of the 1850s show a tileworks on this site. Drainage tiles were in big demand for the agricultural improvements that started here in the 18th century.