Thanks to generous funding and support from the European Regional Development Fund, and from English Heritage, Saltom is free to access again.

Saltom bay was fenced off when damage to the sea wall, the cliff path and the buildings made the site unsafe.  Copeland Borough Council was faced with a huge bill for works that they couldn’t afford alone.  The only solution was to fence it off.

But people loved Saltom too much!  Letters to The Whitehaven News showed how important Saltom was to local residents and to visitors.  The loss was not just a beautiful, secluded bay, but also Whitehaven’s industrial heritage.  Saltom was England’s first under-sea coal mine:  a major landmark of the Industrial Revolution, which helped put Whitehaven on the map.

Thanks to the overwhelming support of local people, The European Regional Development Fund and English Heritage granted funds for the repairs.

Work started in October 2008, in the autumn storms.  Work had to be done carefully as Saltom Pit is a scheduled ancient monument – protected by law because it is so important. 

After the sea wall and the building were stabilised, the final task was to repair the cliff path and take down most of the fencing.  Due to very unstable ground, some fencing remains.  The old fence will be replaced with new over the coming months.

Saltom is a special and important place, and thanks to a joint effort, it is free for everyone to access again.