Swannington Heritage Trust
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Coal (and in some cases water) was lifted up the shaft from shallow coal mines by means of hand windlasses, sometimes called wallowers. Some wallowers had a handle at each end to increase the power of the lift. These would have been used on this site from the 13th century onwards, until it became necessary to exploit deeper coal seams. |
In the early 17th century, the effort needed to raise coal from greater depths had been met by use of the cog and rung horse gin. The wallower was turned by means of a wooden gear mechanism, driven by a horse. A double ended rope, each end being attached to a basket (corve), was used for lifting the coal. One basket descended as the other ascended.
After each lift the horse was turned and driven in the opposite direction. The size and placement of the mechanism limited the overall operational efficiency of this type of gin. |
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 In the early 18th century, a new design had replaced the cog and rung gin offering more power and, since the shaft top was not so cluttered, better operational control. This was the horse driven whim gin (or whimsey). The drum was placed well away from the shaft mouth in a separate frame and carried a double neded rope, which was wrapped several times around the drum.
A two-horse gin was recorded lifting 2.5 tons of coal an hour in 1739 in Cumberland and in 1750 an eight-horse gin was able to raise approximately 9 tons an hour from 200 feet. |
| An inventry of William Newark of Talbot Farm, Swannington, taken in 1749, showed that he had three horse gins and two whim gins on sites in the north end of the village. A whim gin was almost certainly used at this site into the early 19th century. |
| Where the cost could be justified, gins were gradually replaced by steam driven whimseys to gain access to even deeper coal seams, but many horse gins continued in use until the shallower seams were worked out. |
The present structure has been built by our team of volunteers and is as near a replica of an original as it is possible to achieve.
Swannington Heritage Trust would like to thank:
Leicester Area National Union of Mine Workers
The Helen Jean Cope Trust and
Leicestershire County Council
for their generous sponsorship of our work
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