By Emma McGordon

Last updated 15:56, Wednesday, 19 March 2008

A ROOFTOP café bar looking out onto the Irish Sea with views of the Isle of Man is one of the many plans for Haig Colliery Mining Museum which has been awarded £1.7million by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

in future: Artist’s impression of how Haig Mining Museum will look

The grant will transform the way the museum tells the story of coal through a redisplay of its mining related collection of machinery, personal items, records, documents and books.

A themed sculpture park will be created and new displays will focus on the social history of coal mining and the human cost suffered by Whitehaven for its coal wealth.

The grant makes up part of a planned £4.5 million restoration scheme that will transform the museum into a world-class attraction and lasting testament to the mining history of West Cumbria.

Other contributors to the overall total include £1.2 million from West Lakes Renaissance, £830,000 from English Partnerships plus money from Copeland Borough Council and West Cumbria Development Agency.

The Heritage Lottery grant comes in two stages – a development grant of £249,500 and then a further £1,450,000

The scheme will restore the site and enable full access to the building and its entire collections for the first time since it opened in 1995.

The Grade II listed museum building and pit head gear stands as a monument to the area’s coal mining roots and to the last fight for the retention of the former West Cumberland coalfield.

Haig Pit’s closure in 1986 marked the end of an industrial era and brought a devastating loss of 3500 jobs. The pit’s turbulent history included losing over 83 men in 4 explosions between 1922 and 1931, leaving 14 men entombed in the workings.

Many members of the community remember working the pit and the HLF supported scheme includes a series of oral history sessions to capture their memories.

Currently unused parts of the building will be brought back into use as multi-purpose community facilities and the main entrance to the lower ground floor will be relocated. New features such as stairs giving access to the upper parts of the building and a rooftop café/bar area offering dramatic views over the coastline are also planned.

A full time Museum Development Officer will develop the range of educational activities at the site and expand the delivery of vocational training for staff, volunteers and local students.

The scheme will be the focal point of larger plans to redevelop the coastal fringe between St Bees and Whitehaven.

Pamela Telford, manager of Haig Colliery Mining Museum, said: “We are absolutely delighted at this major step forward, which is testament to the hard work of the board, staff and volunteers.

“We are also very grateful for the ongoing support from the local community, and look forward to delivering a mining museum to make Whitehaven proud."

Museum chairman Bob Metcalfe added: “This is the first stage in creating a meaningful and vibrant facility for the local community which will reflect the historic importance of the coal mining industry in West Cumbria.

“The award reflects the hard work of everyone at the museum and also the commitment of our partners including English Partnerships, Copeland Borough Council, the National Trust, West Cumbria Development Fund, West Lakes Renaissance and the Land Reclamation Trust.”