Pithead Baths

Prior to the introduction of these baths, the miners had no option but to travel home dirty and wash in a tin bath in front of the fire or outside in the 'bailey' (back yard). Not only did the miners' wives have to constantly boil heavy tubs of water ready for the miner to take a bath, but the miners' filthy clothes had to be washed as well - a continuous back breaking chore for the women of the house. Walking through the pithead baths today, it is difficult to imagine the huge impact such buildings had on the lives of the miner and his family.