Designating The Moat Pit

Overview

The Moat Pit is a rare example of a moated coal mine entrance and ventilation shaft, dating from the late 16th to early 17th centuries. It lies approximately 400m south of the shoreline at Culross in the intertidal zone. Moated mine entrances were stone towers that stood above the surface of the water at high tide. The Moat Pit provided an additonal entrance and ventilation for a tunnel which ran for a mile under the sea, allowing the extraction of coal from previously inaccessible coal seams. This example worked in tandem with ‘an Egyptian Wheel’ - a type of pump used to drain the mines.  Construction began around 1590 and the moat was in use until 1625 when it was flooded during a severe storm.

Moated mine shafts are a significant aspect of Scotland’s early industrial past playing an important role in the mining enterprises of Sir George Bruce. The ‘Great Coal’ that was produced from these mines was exported to England, Germany, and the Low Countries. Smaller ‘pan coal’ was integral to the local economy. It was used at salt pans to extract salt from sea water and also for smelting iron. James VI visited the moat pit in 1617. Entering from a coal shaft on land, he walked through the connecting tunnel emerging at the moat surrounded by the waters of the Forth.

The Moat Pit demonstrates a marked advancement of the Scottish coal mining industry in terms of design, technique, technology, scale and economic viability. This site now survives as the base courses of a round sandstone tower, a blocked mine shaft and a spread of tumbled stone which can be viewed from the shore.

We are proposing to designate this site as a scheduled monument, an archaeological site that makes a significant contribution to our understanding and appreciation of Scotland's past. 

We have launched this public consultation to gather views on our proposal to schedule this important site.  Find out more about scheduled monuments.

Find out more about why we think The Moat Pit meets the criteria for scheduling by downloading our Report on Handling from the Documents section on the HES Portal.

Why your views matter

We’d love to hear your thoughts and whether you agree with our proposal. You can do this by completing the short questionnaire below. We are also keen for any more information that you might have about the sites, which will enhance our understanding of its significance and our record. 

This questionnaire usually takes 5-10 minutes to complete.

Find out what comments we consider and what happens next in our consultations guide or by watching our guide to designations on Youtube.