It was worked by the Thompson family of Kirkhouse under a lease from Lord Carlisle, and passed under and was connected to their Byrom Pit. It had employed 300 men of which 200 were to lose their jobs and move out of the area. Thompson gave up the lease, which was taken up by the Naworth coal company which worked the other mines in the area. The Gairs mine is often described as being in Hallbankgate though lies in parish of Castle Carrock. In 1925, it had 55 working underground and 28 above, though two years earlier it had employed 148 underground and 44 above. It output 70,000 tons of household and steam coal. It was a safe mine and worked two seams, known as the Little Limestone Coal and the Little Limestone seam. It was abandoned in 1936. It was operated by the Naworth Coal Company. There were other mines in the area notably the Tindale Drift Mine and the Black Syke Mine in Haltwhistle, and Bishops Hill Colliery at Brampton and the Naworth Colliery and drift mines at Midgeholme.