| AdminHistory | The Livingston Development Corporation collected a large quantity of information regarding the mining within Livingston. There are six main areas which have been mined in the designated area.
I) Deans
We hold copies of most of the mines within Deans together with interpretative drawings showing the developable areas. Most of the mining in Deans was for shale, there was, however, one small coal mine for Houstoun coal within Tesco's site at Carnegie Road. Mining in Deans was concentrated in the area of Caputhall Road, Hardie Road , Carnegie Road, in the triangular area west of Tesco's site at Caputhall Rd and also, at depth, under a considerable part of Eliburn and Livingston Village. The mines also extend under parts of Boghall, Starlaw Business Park and Tailend Nature Reserve.
II) Houstoun Industrial Estate / Knightsridge
Parts of Houstoun IE and Knightsridge are undermined by workings from the Pumpherston No 4 mine. These are at such a depth that subsidence is not a problem plus there is a whin sill between them and the surface.
III) Adambrae / Kirkton Campus / Almondvale
Parts of Adambrae / Kirkton Campus / Almondvale adjacent to the cemetery are affected by workings from the Alderstone 43 mine. The cemetery was positioned due to the shallowness of the workings. The mine mouth is just east of the cemetery. We have a copy of the abandonment plan together with an interpretative drawing.
IV) Dedridge / Almondvale
Parts of Ivanhoe Rise, Kennilworth Rise Mowbray Rise, Palmer Rise and Almondvale South are undermined by workings from the Newfarm mines. The mine mouths were just west of St Ninians Primary School. We have a copy of the abandonment plans together with an interpretative drawing.
V) Murieston / Brucefield
There were a number of limestone mines / quarries in this area. The major ones were:
Murieston - Initially a quarry extended by mine workings. It was located in Campbridge Park (just south of Albyn Drive. Workings are shown on the Westfield abandonment drawing.
Westfield - This is the largest of the mines in this area and was situated just outside the designated area opposite Murieston Valley. We have a copy of the abandonment plan (which includes Murieston Mine and Brucefield Mine). LDC carried out a pumping trial to see if it was possible to use the water from the mine for industrial use.
Mine north of Murieston Valley - A mine is shown west of Bervie Drive on an ordnance survey plan. There is no known abandonment plan, however, due to the presence of a tramway linking it with the main railway line it is likely to have been of a reasonable size. Some investigation to determine its location was carried out.
Brucefield - Adjacent to Cochrane Square is another quarry extended by mine workings. The abandonment plan is contained on the Westfield abandonment plan. A similar pumping exercise as Westfield was carried out but was abandoned due to the quarry fill settling under the road causing it to subside.
VI) Ponds on River Almond west of Kirkton Campus
These were created by opencast shale workings in the late 1940s / 50s. The area to the north of ponds was also part of the workings and is infilled to a depth of 20 - 30m.
These are the main areas within Livingston, there may have been smaller workings particularly in the Murieston area for limestone. For example there is a trial shaft shown on a plan adjacent to Wilderness plantation |