NEHL - A colliery was situated in the valley of the How Burn between the 1880s and 1920s. It was on the land of the Duke of Portland who occupied the Bothal estate, and was leased to Messrs. Caisley who opened the site. It was later put on sale in 1892 and ended up in the hands of Thomas Dodd, who operated it until the Wansbeck Colliery Co. took over the site.

An accident took place here in 1896, when a hewer struck water which rushed into the mine with "great force". It actually ended up being an older shaft which was timbered and covered over with soil. The burn had coursed its way over it so was unknown to them. After the incident the manager of the pit put on a strong gang of men to make a new channel for the burn. There are two shafts labelled on the Ordnance Survey in the late 1910s - one old and one in use.