12 pictures recalling Seafield Colliery Kirkcaldy
The imposing blue fencing which once ran along the road to Kinghorn has gone, and the the twin towers of the mine came down in the 1980s.And yet Seafield was a place of huge employment for thousands of men.
Work on the colliery in May 1954, and production began in 1966. Five men were killed in a roof collapse in 1973.
The miners’ strike of 1984-85 saw picket lines mounted outside.
By 1988, the colliery had closed. Its twin towers were demolished 12 months later.
Today, the sole acknowledgement of its rich history as a pit is a small brown plaque on the side of a playpark in the heart of the housing estate at Bowhouse Drive.
1. Seafield Colliery
Seafield Colliery, Kirkcaldy, 1980s - one of the last media trips underground before the pit was closed (Pic: Ian Rice) Photo: Ian Rice
2. Seafield Colliery
A view of the winding tower at Seafield colliery in Fife, seen through the spiked railings from 1988. Photo: Alan Macdonald
3. Seafield Colliery
Miners at Kirkcaldy's Seafield Colliery took part in a sponsored crawl for charity. Tom Martin, George Wallace and Benny Sprint were raising money to purchase electrical equipment for Viewforth Day Centre. Photo: FFP
4. Seafield Colliery
A view of the winding tower at Seafield Colliery in Fife Photo: Alan Macdonald