The remains of Saltom Pit, just above the waterline at the base of the Whitehaven cliffs, is one of the most important mining archeology sites in the country. At a seminar held in 2006, Andrew Davidson of English Heritage described the site as 'the Ironbridge of mining', relating it in importance to the worlds first ever iron bridge built in Shropshire, now a World Heritage Site and recognised as one of the great symbols of the Industrial Revolution.

The site has been a constant prescence for the local communities for the last 300 years, as a working pit with a small settlement and latterly as a place for local people to play, fish, explore the beach and swim in the sea. 

The National Trust have researched and published a series of pages on Saltom’s past and its importance to local people .  Click the link above to dig deeper into Saltom’s mining past