In January 2017, Alex Rochead was walking at Blantyreferme near the River Clyde and noticed these ruins not far from the former Colliery site. There were bricks and foundations and what appeared to be a deep pit formed of concrete. Some of the brick structures had white tiles on the inside. So what was […]
On Wednesday morning of 9th February 1927, the two cages at No. 1 Pit, Blantyre Ferme Colliery, came into contact and, buckling, took the water pipes with them, causing damage to the shaft and rendering it unworkable. Three hundred men, who were below the time, had to get out No. 2 Pit. The damage, […]
I’m always amazed at all the little snippets of social history about Blantyre that is offered to me freely. Facts, stories and memories. Seventy two year old, Thomas Hamilton -Hailes contacted me in January and said, “I spent my childhood summers playing down near the Clyde and Boat Jock’s orchards and learning to ride […]
Fire broke out in the surface structure of Blantyreferme Colliery 1&2 on Wednesday 19th July 1950 which saw the pithead destroyed and considerable alarm for the miners. Five hours after the fire had broken out, 36 miners who had been trapped, came out of Newton Colliery after a two mile underground walk in partial […]
The Whins or Blantyreferme Anti Aircraft (AA) Battery was situated to the North of the railway line and West of Blantyre Farm Road. It was built in response to the threat of Nazi air raids during World War Two. The site consisted of over 20 accommodation and administration wooden huts, an engineering hut, initially […]
Thank you to Gerry who sent in this 2013 picture of the Central Magazine at the former Blantyre AA Battery, near Blantyreferme. The history of this building and location was told on Blantyre Project recently. Gerry’s picture shows just how much of the structure remains. Well worth a visit if you’ve never been here before. […]
The remarkable story was told in Hamilton J.P, Court on Tuesday 1st November 1927, when two young men from Shotts and a 16-year-old girl from Edinburgh admitted having been found sleeping rough in hay shed of farm near Blantyre. They were found there at two o’clock on the Monday morning. The lads stated that they […]