Hare Law

Summit ridge of a massive landscaped bing. To the north there are huge holes at Westfield, the rock from there ended up here.

In this picture is the Westfield Biomass energy plant, the Westfield Wind Farm and the water-filled remains of Westfield open-cast coal mine, at one time claimed to be the largest in Europe.

Situated just off the road from Lochgelly to Gardenden [B981]

St.Fothads Church of Scotland.

Situated on the Lochgelly to Cardenden Road (B981)

Situated on Jamphlars Road this garage seems to specialize in cars of a certain age.

A view north to Bishop Hill from mining memorial at Jamphlars.

Inscription on mining memorial.

Marked on the 1940'S map as Craighead Plantation this is how it looks today.

The plantation to the north (right hand) side of the B9097 here was grown to screen from view the open-cast coal workings on the other side of it.

Well, that's what the OS map calls this farm. Perhaps the paint has faded.

As the Westfield opencast coal site expanded the local road network was altered several times and in 1992 the railway line that served the site and took the coal away to power stations was also diverted to enable a further area of coal to be exploited. The present line can be seen coming from the right behind the brick hut and curving towards the loading bank (which is hidden behind the bush on the left). In the foreground is the sole reminder of the original route, the weighbridge on which wagons were weighed before and after loading. In the background is the chimney of the former British Gas Lurgi coal gasification plant.

Taken from the embankment of one of the internal haulage roads, this view shows the phased restoration of the former opencast site. Coal extraction from the land to the left of the railway line was completed several years ago; the pit has been backfilled and vegetation is now colonising the surface. To the right of the railway line, extraction ended more recently; the pit has been filled in but awaits a topsoil covering to enable plants to grow. The railway line seen here is a deviation constructed in 1992; the original line followed a route more to the right, making directly for the end of the wooded hill near the upper right corner.

This is the extreme south-eastern corner of the opencast coal site. Gorse and other shrubs are recolonising the land to the right of the railway line but much less so to the left, where parts of the former excavations are still under water. When the railway was deviated in 1992 it was provided with two concrete tube tunnels beneath internal haulage roads, one of which can be seen in the middle distance. In the far distance are the silver chimney of the Lurgi gasification plant and beyond that the massive hump of Benarty Hill.