Winding Wheel - Bo'ness, Falkirk, Scotland.
Posted by: 
creg-ny-baa
N 56° 01.048 W 003° 36.613
30V E 461959 N 6208191
Preserved winding wheel in the town of Bo'ness, part of the Bo'ness Memorial to Mining.
Waymark Code: WMZ32V
Location: Southern Scotland, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 09/03/2018
Views: 3
This winding wheel was unveiled on May 26th 2007 as a memorial to mining, in the Scottish town of Bo'ness. Although originally from the Prince of Wales mine in Nottinghamshire, England, it was brought to Bo'ness in 2004 and restored by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society. The Ballantine Bo'ness Iron Company cleaned and repaired the surface of the wheel and manufactured the steel supports which hold the wheel vertically (it would have been used horizontally in operation).
The wheel was erected as a memorial to mining in the area, which began in the 11th century. The nearby Kenneil Colliery operated with coal mines underneath the Firth of Forth, before closing for the final time on April 29th 1983. A plaque at the foot of the wheel reads:
'Bo'ness Memorial to Mining
Erected in 2007 by
Bo'ness Community Council & Bonnie Bo'ness
To mark the history of miners and mining in Bo'ness'
The historic marker nearby includes the text:
'Although this Winding Wheel comes from the Prince of Wales mine, Nottinghamshire, it is erected on this site to commemorate the huge significance of mining and miners to Bo'ness. It has been generously stored and cared for by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society in Bo'ness since 2004. The Ballantine Bo'ness Iron Company Ltd has cleaned and repaired the surface of the wheel, manufactured the steel supports and erected the wheel vertically as a symbol to commemorate the rich history of mining in Bo'ness.'
The wheel is situated near the town centre on an open grassy area in Union Street on the banks of the Forth.