IN his concluding account on the pits of the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area, Fife mining enthusiast, Chris Sparling, reports on the closing years of one of Fife’s greatest collieries

??Few at the opening ceremony on Saturday January 28, 1895, carried out by Miss Josephine Haig, daughter of Mr. H. V. Haig of Ramornie, Chairman of the newly formed Bowhill Coal Company, would have predicted a working life for this colliery of over 70 years. Bowhill Colliery would eventually have three shafts but the No. 3 shaft was never a commercial success. Deep coal mining ceased at Bowhill in 1965.

"Dunfermline Press"

27 October, 1956

West Fife Mining Developments

NEW SINKING AT BOWHILL

The new sinking at Bowhill was now down to 300 fathoms and had 140 fathoms to go. The work was actually four weeks ahead of schedule and they were now encountering some trouble because of water inflow. They had reached the strata which had caused considerable stoppages at the Rothes Colliery project, and because of the experience at Rothes they had been able to take precautions which should eliminate a repetition of the severe hold-ups there.

The aim of the development at Bowhill was to produce output to one million tons annually with a manpower of 3000; existing output is about 300,000 tons.

In order to supply sufficient electric power to meet future area requirements, an extension to the present power station was in process of building and would be commissioned this year. A boiler to burn slurry, which previously had been thrown aside, was being erected and they expected to burn 48,000 tons annually at Bowhill. Mr Mullin [General Manager, West Fife Area] said that they were now exporting slurry to Western Europe at a price of about 36s per ton and at a rate of about 6000 tons monthly.

The Coal Board intended to build twenty boilers of the type installed at Bowhill, thereby releasing more saleable coal for the ordinary market.

??The Rothes ‘super pits’, initially planned by the Fife Coal Company and taken over by the National Coal Board, encountered “unending geological difficulties.”

30 Mar 1957 - Bowhill Colliery power station extension, costing £60,000, was opened by Mr R. W. Parker, chairman of the Scottish Division of the N.C.B. Mr Parker said that it was the policy of the Board to electrify plant and equipment whenever possible. The Bowhill enterprise was a determined effort to deal with the problem of how to utilise the considerable tonnage of a very low grade fuel, slurry and filter cake, for which there was little demand. They were not suitable commercial fuels, but with specialised plants could be used economically for generation of electricity. The station would consume 45,000 tons of slurry supplied locally, and in so doing release 30,000 tons of saleable coal every year to the market.