The White Lea Colliery was opened in around 1855 and closed by the 1890s as the Pease's West Coke Ovens expanded. It situated a snug site between a small burn and Roddymoor village as seen on the first Ordnance Survey. It also sat close to a railway junction between both Pease's West Collieries, Tow Law and Crook.

The pit was opened by Bolckow Vaughan for use in their metal working production further east, and at least a few hundred people worked at this site alone. They were likely all housed in nearby Roddymoor, a set of 5 rows built in the 1840s but occupied by hewers for various collieries ever since.

By 1889 the pit was in the hands of Pease & Partners who dominated this area. Work was incredibly slow by 1893, with employment figures of only 111 and operations of only 4-7 days per fortnight. Workers were provided a fortnights notice in the February of that year with the hope of the colliery being reopened, but the slump was too great and the land went on to be utilised by their long line of coke ovens.

The site is now fields.