More correctly described as Whangs Shaft. This development was carried out during WWII as part of the effort to increase the production of iron ore in the UK. It was based on the results of drilling from 1910 onwards. The shaft encountered severe difficulties with ground water and was abandoned in late 1944 before it reached the iron ore deposits. As a result there was no production of iron ore. See:

http://www.dmm.org.uk/news19/9460704b.htm 

for details.

Logs of the boreholes are available by entering "Whangs" as the location on the BGS site at:

http://mapapps.bgs.ac.uk/geologyofbritain/home.html?mode=boreholes 

This was just one of several initiatives carried out in West Cumberland during WWII, two of the others being the development of Haile Moor Mine by the Beckermet Mining Company (part of the United Steel Companies Ltd) and the sinking of Florence No 2 shaft (the one at Florence Mine Heritage Centre). Haile Moor came into production during WWII, however, its rapid development caused problems in working the mine at a later date. Florence No 2 Shaft was not completed until after the end of WWII but it did then release reserves sterilised by Florence No 1 Shaft. These continued to be worked up to the closure of the deeper parts of the mine and traces of the old shaft were occasionally seen in robberies in the main Florence orebody during workings by the British Steel Corporation.

Dave Greenwood
BSC Mine Geologist 1967-81.