Haig Colliery Mining Museum in Whitehaven, Cumbria, United Kingdom | Museum

Coal mining in Whitehaven dates back to the thirteenth century when the monks from St Bees Abbey supervised the opening of coal mines at Arrowthwaite. This long history ended abruptly in March 1986 when Haig Pit, Cumbria's last deep coal mine, finally closed.

On the site of the former Haig Pit in Whitehaven, which closed in 1986, the winding engine house and headgear are being restored to their former glory and is now open as the Haig Colliery Mining Museum.

The winding house has been undergoing restoration since early in 1994 by a group of local volunteers. When the pit closed, many of the buildings were demolished, and the area landscaped to form the Haig Enterprise Park. Only the winding engine house and headgear remained. The building is being restored to its former glory, along with two unique Bever-Dorling steam winding engines.

Haig Colliery Mining Museum is situated high on the cliffs above Whitehaven with magnificent views across to the Scottish Hills and the Isle of Man. The museum is a twenty minute detour from the famous Coast to Coast Walk and within yards of the Cumbria Coastal Way.