Description:This image shows pitheads numbers 4 and 18. It was at 18 that there was an explosion on 18 December 1925 when 7 men were killed and 14 were injured.
Birchenwood colliery opened in the 1890s, most of the coal being used for coke and other by-products. The colliery actually closed in 1932, but coke and other by-product production continued by using coal from other collieries. However this production also ceased in May 1973.