Bell Pits were among the earliest methods of mining and were being sunk which allowed the miners to go below ground to mine the seams near the surface.  The coal was then dug out in a 'Bell ' shaped hole.  This was done until the surrounding ground became undermined, making it too dangerous to work further.  That bell pit was then abandoned and another one would open nearby. It was said that the new pit would be opened at the distance at which a man could throw a shovel of earth from the original pit, so the process would start again and so on.

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In the picture, a man is shown raising coal from a 'Bell Pit' using a hand winch. There were also other methods used, for example, horse gins' which, by means of a horse walking in a circle, harnessed to a large horizontal wheel, and using simple gearing, drove another type of hoisting apparatus. Where there was an ample water supply,  water wheels were also frequently used in a similar way.