Woodhorn colliery near ashington was turned into a mining heritage museum by. Woodhorn colliery, ashington 1016976 historic england. Ashington is a town and civil parish in northumberland, england, with a population of 27,864 at. Since the formation in 1898 of the ashington debating and literary improvement society, classical greek and roman authors were included on the reading list and discussed at its regular meetings. The monument includes the headgear of two shafts, the heapstead, two engine houses, two fan houses, and parts of a railway system. Ashington colliery is now a museum and my last visit left me thinking some of the power of a memorial has drained away into a theme park experienceuntil you hit the room of. Coal mining at ashington, northumberland, circa 1950. A book of 26 of his popular songs was published but it. The colliery year book and coal trades directory is invaluable for its list of mines, particularly in the. Sammy is a novel by ashingtonbased writer, vince gledhill, which tells the story of a destitute boy who walks 200 miles to get to ashington in 1910 when the coal was king and the town was a place of enterprise, ambition and opportunity. The opening event began with welcome drinks at the portland hotel in ashington. Miners memorial is a grade ii listed building in ashington, northumberland, england. Ashington and sheepwash, a township and an ecclesiastical parish in bothal parish, northumberland, on the river wansbeck, 4 miles e of morpeth. The book pitmen painters, by william feaver, recorded the development of the.
Photos, maps, personal memories and local books of north seaton colliery. Miners on way to the pithead baths after a shift at ashington new moor colliery in northumberland. Ashington, one of the north easts most famous towns, has been celebrating its 150th birthday this year. R a post, money order, and telegraph office under morpeth, and two banks. Woodhorn colliery, ashington bf091086 archive volume.
Book or magazine covers, commercial, promotional, advertorial, endorsement, advertising, or merchandising purposes in any media e. There is little evidence now that a colliery existed in ashington. It is a small station with few services calling there. Books about blackhall colliery area browse 15 photo books on blackhall colliery and the surrounding area. Ashington followed in october 1986 and bates colliery at blyth. Newspaper article evening chronicle newcastle, england book digs deep into history of colliery life. Ashington, woodhorn colliery museum, northumberland show all locations ashington, woodhorn colliery museum, northumberland.
Ashington in northumberland is the focus of the latest dvd by the sixtownships history group. The mining workers of ashington in northumberland gave a hooky mat to their friends in west sussex, where it is now displayed in the village hall. Adderley green colliery ashington colliery 1915 astley green colliery, lancashire 1969 bargoed colliery washery 1915 bericke main colliery bickershaw colliery, lancashire cwmtillery colliery c. It is mainly a museum of the towns mining history with pictures and models. History of railways in northumberland this refers to the pre1974 boundaries of northumberland, after which north tyneside council became an independent local authority. A goalkeeper, he was tall and described as safe as houses. Ashington colliery, which once employed more than 6,000 miners, closed in 1988 after 121 years of mining. Tributes paid to former ashington colliery miner and. The club was formed by the local miners at the local fpit colliery in the early 20th century as washington colliery f. Overview download history purchase history invoices boards sign out.
Ashington is also the name of a village in west sussex. When whittle colliery closed in 1987, this left only ellington colliery, the biggest undersea deepshaft mine in the world. Newspaper article the journal newcastle, england historic coal at miners church. Woodhorn went into decline in the 1960s because of thin coal seams and the availability of cheaper alternative fuels such as oil and gas. The woodhorn colliery closed in the 1980s and has a rich history about the area and the hardships of the miners, which included accidents. Islandshire, norhamshire and bedlingtonshire were enclaves of durham until 1844. We have also indexed the names mentioned in the bargains. See more ideas about coal mining, durham city and north east england. As in many other parts of britain, deep pit coal mining in the area declined during the 1980s and 1990s leaving just one colliery, ellington until january.
Wow what a brilliant place to visit, an old mining site packed full of social history and a fantastic exhibition of ex miners paintings had a fantastic day in a well set out museum building followed by lunch in the cafe and further exhibitions within the out buildings. A former miner, mike started at ashington colliery when he was 15, and throughout his life he was fascinated by the history of the pit and the impact it had on the town of ashington and the. The durham record family history book, history books, durham county, coal. The extracts from these bargain books have been transcribed by john stark as part of his family history reseach. See why it was listed, view it on a map, see visitor comments and photos and share your own comments and photos of. By becoming a member of one of our museums or for the whole trust, you will be helping us to continue educating, entertaining, sharing and protecting our heritage.
Ashington colliery, newcastleontyne employed over five thousand workers. It has a station on the biyth and tyne section of the n. As ashington celebrates its 150th birthday this year, we recall the colliery that gave the town its identity share. Please note that these are not full transcriptions of the bargain books. Regular readers of this page know that i am fascinated by the lost colliery villages of northumberland. Jan 14, 2014 young miners starting work at ashington colliery in 1940. Catalogue of plans of abandoned mines for ashington colliery. Ashington developed from a small hamlet in the 1840s, as the duke of portland built housing to encourage workers escaping the irish potato famine to come and work at his local collieries. Ashington colliery shortly after its closure in 1988 but.
The former coal town of ashington in northumberland is the focus of a new dvd by the six townships history group. Woodhorn colliery, ashington museum, northumberland e. Ashington colliery c 1967 more from the surface and the bygone era of steam. Newcastle upon tyne has been independent since the 1400s. Pictures in the gallery section of ashington colliery further reading. Woodhorn colliery was sunk in 1894 by the ashington coal company. Ashington coal company the five collieries by mike kirkup, 2000, published by the peoples history ltd. As the ashington coal company handbook recalled in 1926. Ashington colliery proper started in 1867 with the sinking of the bothal shaft from this small beginning was to grow one of the biggest. Friday 7 november 2014 saw a proud day in the history of ashington and its heritage when a walking trail was officially opened to mark the site of the former colliery. Photos, maps, personal memories and local books of ashington. He spent 1926 to 1934 with leeds united, winning promotions out of the second division in 192728 and 1932, and then spent two years with port vale.
The clubs distinctive red colours were agreed upon on formation and a codicil written making the team strip of red shirts being in existence in perpetuity. He was the brother inlaw of the milburn brothers jack, george and jimmy, who all played for leeds. John has very kindly allowed us to reproduce the extracts here. In the 1700s all that existed of ashington was a small farm with a few dwellings around. But, in general, it was of books and men there was. Woodhorn, officially woodhorn museum and northumberland archives and formerly known as woodhorn colliery museum, is located in ashington, northumberland, england. The view of ashington colliery and the first terrace of the sixth row. The original ashington colliery was on the north west of the town and the smaller woodhorn pit was on the north east. The ashington group 19341984 paperback 18 nov 2008. John foster potts 22 january 1904 1 october 1986 was an english footballer. Ashington colliery association barrington colliery bedlington bellingham blanchland blyth boat boys bridge buildings built cambois castle centre century chapel children church coal colour cottages county crossing electric families farm farne ferry fish foreground front gibson gosforth hadrians wall hall harbour head.
Mik currently has a kickstarter campaign for his forthcoming book, coal town to be. Ashington colliery is now a museum and my last visit left me thinking some of the power of a memorial has drained away into a theme park experienceuntil you hit the room of paintings or see the colliery. The archives for the county of northumberland are located at the woodhorn colliery museum, outside the township of ashington. Ashington colliery closed in 1988, and the miners employed there either took redundancy or were transferred to neighbouring ellington colliery. This led the ashington coal company to build parallel rows of colliery houses. Ashington colliery, new moor pit c 1963 shearer on a longwall coal face. Some of our museums are now running on winter opening times. Pegswood railway station is on the east coast main line in the united kingdom, serving the village of pegswood, northumberland. Ashington colliery morpeth, coal mining, newcastle upon tyne. Meet the selfeducated coalmen of ashington colliery in northumberland. After the miners strike in 1984, it was announced that brenkley colliery would close in december 1985. North east borehole records, for collieries and pre and post nationalisation. Jun 3, 2015 this pin was discovered by chris cochrane.
Mike also writes a monthly magazine called a creeful of coals there are always lots of old time photos and stories in it, this might help anyone trying to trace their family tree. Design the key design challenge was to create a new building type. An ashington urban district was created in 1896, covering part of the parish of ashington and sheepwash and part of the parish of bothal demesne. It was the sinking of the bothal mine shaft in 1867 that led to the rapid growth of coal mining and development of the town. The sad thing is that these have been so methodically obliterated that there is often less of them surviving than the traditional medieval lost villages that you read about in the history books.
See all books memories of blackhall colliery read and share your memories of blackhall colliery itself or of a particular photo of blackhall colliery. Young miners starting work at ashington colliery in 1940there. Ashington down the decades in a selection of great archive. Ashington coal company built parallel rows of colliery housing and newcomers came from the countryside and as far away as ireland and cornwall. An introduction to collecting colliery checks, tallies. The closure of woodhorn colliery, in 1981, gave opportunity for a mining. Powered by create your own unique website with customizable templates.
There are also changing exhibits of history, art and science. North seaton colliery photos, maps, books, memories. The museum depicts the lives of coal mine workers and features original. An excellent source of local knowledge is mike kirkup who has published several books of the history of ashington and nearby towns. Littleton colliery closed its gates in 1993 and was the last deep mine in staffordshire. He later performed at concert halls and became known as the pitman poet or the bard of the northern coalfield. Villageguides choppington colliery regular readers of.
Boarding the bus in alnwick, we hopped on the arriva x18 sightseeing tour bus and headed up to the top deck and the back of the bus like naughty sc. We collect records relating to the history of northumberland, its communities and people in our offices at berwickupontweed and woodhorn. Books about north seaton colliery area browse 5 photo books on north seaton colliery and the surrounding area. This is a photograph of the opening of the new colliery baths at ellington colliery, ellington, northumberland by deborah bramley, the northumberland coal queen.
Woodhorn museum is a museum, heritage colliery site and the home of the northumberland archives. In order to find out all such necessary information and history the collector should be aware of several key references. When the big e finally shut up shop on 26th january 2005, it was also the last remaining british deep mine to extract coal from under the sea a. Ashington colliery shortly after its closure in 1988 but whats there today. Ashington colliery, northumberland c 1967 on the surface showing the bygone era of steam. Collieries raleys maps, poems and searchable databases. The monument includes woodhorn colliery which is situated in queen elizabeth ii country park to the north east of ashington. To the north of the town is queen elizabeth ii country park which contains a lake surrounded by pine woodland plantation. Northumberland archives is the archive service for northumberland englands most northerly county.
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