NEHL - The Fan Pit was one of at least two collieries operated under the West Shieldrow umbrella, another potentially being the Machine Pit south west which doubled as a pumping station. It opened around 1879, with the first owner recognised as R Dickinson. It was located adjacent to Hedley's Shieldrow Colliery, and both concurrently faced issues with unrest and miners strikes deriving from wage cutting and long hours. Dickinson's pit saw the viewer "pelted with coal", while Hedley's pit was set on fire though was extinguished by local fireman.

The colliery was connected to the railway via a tramway from the Fan Pit, over the Annfield Plan branch to South Moor Colliery. Therefore it was never necessarily connected to the railway network itself - rather it was a feeder to the screens at the top of the hill with coal being shipped from there.

The period from the 1870s saw significant growth around Stanley, in part thanks to Margaret and the Fan Pit. Employment figures topped 441 by 1905, and most of these were housed in the constantly expanding Stanley. Houses started to be built around Margaret Pit in the 1900s, with Good Street seeing its first rows alongside the handsome Tanfield School.

West Shieldrow Colliery did not operate through to nationalisation like many of its neighbours. It closed in 1934, with seams abandoned since 1931. Folk likely went to work at Tanfield Lea, Beamish or West Stanley.