LUMPHINNANS Pits and Mines (1826-1966) gives a view of how the coal industry inspired the development of a famous Fife village.

This week, Fife mining enthusiast, Chris Sparling, takes you just to the east of Cowdenbeath to reveal more of the Kingdom's greatest pits which worked both ironstone and coal seams on one of Scotland's richest mineral fields.

The great Lumphinnans Colliery began quietly as did a number of small ironstone and coal pits dating from around 1826 when the Oakley Iron Company was operating in Cowdenbeath.

They were prospecting initially for iron ore in the area but they found much more profitable coal seams instead.

The blackband ironstone was always closely associated with coal seams, the two minerals being often worked together.

Ironstone was more difficult to work than coal and the amount of rubbish which had to be taken to the surface, in some cases, greatly exceeded the weight of the ironstone.

The Lumphinnans Iron Works, thought to date from around 1854, were erected at great cost, by Mr Alexander Christie, on a portion of land around 28 acres, feud from the Earl of Zetland.

All trace of the Lumphinnans Iron Works and the associated pits, mines, brickworks, and tramroads have been removed by opencast mining, housing and land reclamation.

See the Times on Wednesday to find out how the coal industry saw the village develop.