Washington County Durham
HOME WHAT'S WHERE MINING COLLECTION 1
Memories of Usworth Colliery
Photo Gallery
- Usworth Colliery
- Miners & Pit Lads
- More Pit Views 1/5
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- 5/5
- Big Meeting
- Closure!
- Bob Scorer
- Poem
Usworth Colliery Photo Gallery
( 1845 - 1974 )
View from the Pit Heap near Railway Terrace.
( Much later than the Map below. )
USWORTH COLLIERY
Downcast Shaft for Man-Riding: Frederick Pit
( Open to the Elements: Fresh Air drawn into Mine )
Upcast Shaft: Victoria Pit
( Sealed: Used Air drawn out by the Colliery Fan )
Usworth Colliery also had a 3rd Shaft: Wellington Pit.
Very Early Map of Usworth Colliery and its Mining Community - 1898
Note the Railway running from the Colliery to the minor road connecting Manor Road and Quarry Row / Single Row.
The future Coal Depot will be built at this road / railway junction.
Usworth Colliery Miners & Pit Lads
Rescue
( 1903 )
Rescue at Usworth Colliery as reported in The Times.
Usworth Miners
( circa 1907 )
George Gibson: 5th from left, back row. [Photographer: Matthew C. Sanderson. Photo: courtesy of George's grandson, David Gibson.]
[ You'll find a fascinating Pictorial History of the life of George Gibson at: What's Where; People; Gibson - George. ]
Usworth Pit Lads
( circa 1907 )
Young Pit Lads at Usworth Colliery.
Men & Boys of Usworth Mining Community
( 1920s )
( Hover your cursor on a face )
Usworth Masons
( 1905 )
The Masons who built the New Boiler House at Usworth Colliery.
Colliery Masons built and maintained numerous Brick Structures underground.
Pulley Wheels
( 1950 )
Changing a Headgear Pulley Wheel
Usworth Colliery
Approaching from The Community of Waterloo
Looking Back from the Conservative Club (formerly, a Methodist Chapel) on the road to Waterloo and Usworth Hall.
( See Maps below and on TAB 1 )
Frederick Shaft (fresh air & men) on the left. Victoria Shaft (used air out) on the right. Compressor House, far right.
Pay Office Window (off-picture left, before the first building). Pit Pond (over the wall, just round the bend).
Entrance to the Pit Yard.
Miners waiting for the Pay Office to open?
L to R: Compressor House - Ventilation Fan House - Upcast Shaft - Lamp Cabin
The Pit Head Baths were off-picture, on the opposite side of Waterloo Road to the Compressor House.
The Colliery Medical Centre was off-picture, bottom-left-corner.
USWORTH COLLIERY MEDICAL CENTRE
Usworth Colliery Medical Centre c.1950.
Pit Head Baths chimney in the background.
MAP OF USWORTH COLLIERY c.1965
Usworth Colliery
Views from the Little Usworth side of The Pit
USWORTH COLLIERY - EDITH AVENUE
The Wesleyan Methodist Chapel. St Michael's Church is on the left at the bottom of the bank.
Usworth Colliery can be seen in the distance.
Usworth 'Victory in Europe' Party - 8th May 1945.
FRONT OF RAILWAY TERRACE
A Track to the Colliery is just visible right of the grass.
The Leamside Railway Line is about 200 hundred yards off-picture, right.
VIEW FROM OLD ROW - 1967
Waterloo Road passing alongside the Lamp Cabin and Upcast Shaft.
The railway lines in a picture below cross the road between Old Row and the Winding Engine House.
Young Pit Lads at Usworth Colliery (1908). No cap lamps - light by Flame Safety Lamp only!
This view was taken from a right-centre position in the photograph below.
VIEW FROM THE RAILWAY LINES TO THE COAL DEPOT NEAR DON GARDENS
The Railway Lines on the other side of the Colliery lead to The Leamside Line.
Waterloo Road doesn't yet pass through the Colliery Premises.
( See Map on next TAB - 3/5 )
• • ◊ • •
VIEW FROM THE OLD COACH ROAD
(Additional Image for Clarification)
Note the long Pit Heap, starting near the Brickyard Chimney.
It leads to the Coal Depot, situated between Quarry Row / Single Row and the Miners's Hall.
The Railway Line from the Colliery runs along the far side of this Pit Heap. The Coal Depot isn't shown on TAB 1 Map.
" If I could only fit one more picture into this Website, which would it be? Usworth Colliery Coal Depot.
Loads of kids, me included, climbed all over its dangerous structure, and occasionally inside the Coal Hopper! "
" If you've got a photograph and you'd like to share, regardless of condition / quality,
I'd be delighted to post it here. Lots of Old Usworthians will love it. "
{ Jim }
Usworth Colliery
Views from Single Row and Quarry Row
Looking along the front of Single Row
Note the Victoria Shaft, the Frederick Shaft and the Brickyard Chimney.
Looking along Single Row (left) and Quarry Row (right) towards Usworth Colliery - 1955.
Note the Bridge over The Burn and the upward track to Usworth Colliery. See Map below.
Looking back at Single Row and the 'F' Pit Heap from the top of Usworth Pit Heap
Quarry Row Demolished!
Little Usworth
Usworth Colliery
Views Looking Over the Brickyard
Usworth Brickyard Chimney from Usworth Colliery Senior School
Thomas Copeman on Usworth School playing fields.
[ Photographer: Mr Ralph Bonney, Teacher ]
Remember the Track - running behind the School Fence - which started at the Coal Depot
and passed Usworth Colliery Post Office, just beyond the Brickyard Chimney?
Usworth Brickyard Chimney - Usworth Green - Pensher View - Pawson's Factory
James Gill on the Edge of Usworth Pit Heap. The Coal Depot railway lines ran between Pit Heap and Chimney.
[ Photographer: My Fiancée, now Wife, Laura ]
Usworth Brickyard - May 1965.
Note the Usworth pit heap (beyond Old Row) stretching right to Railway Terrace and The Leamside Line.
[ Courtesy of Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums ]
Usworth Brickyard Chimney Demolished - June 1972.
Colliery Water Tanks on the bit of 'Old Pit Heap' behind the Chimney.
Note the numerous Spectators scattered across the picture, beyond the Chimney!
Usworth Colliery
Miscellaneous Images
Usworth Colliery Band outside Usworth Miners' Welfare Hall - 1919.
• • ◊ • •
Pit Baths, Colliery and Brickyard Chimney from the direction of Usworth Hall
The Pit Heap (overlooking Single Row) has been partially demolished to accommodate a new road system.
Who remembers the concrete structure on its highest northern edge when the Heap stretched to its full distance?
Usworth Hall from the Military Pillbox on the Pit Heap.
The Leamside Line is just visible running horizontally across this picture.
The community of Waterloo was behind Usworth Hall.
Also visible from the Pillbox - on / near the site of Usworth Secondary School playing fields - an Opencast Coal Mine!
N.B. In the 1960s Usworth Hall was the N.C.B. North Durham Area, 'A' Group Headquarters.
i.e. Usworth, Wardley, Washington 'F' and Washington Glebe Collieries.
• • ◊ • •
Looking North from Usworth Station
The Usworth Colliery Pit Heap that ran from Railway Terrace to the Leamside Line is above the Crossing Gates.
Follingsby Colliery can be seen in the distance, immediately to the right of the Leamside Line.
• • ◊ • •
Usworth Colliery Downcast Shaft Headgear from Trafalgar Road, 1973.
HOW MINE VENTILATION WORKS
The Colliery Fan draws used air up the sealed UC Shaft via a Fan Drift and expels it.
As a result, Fresh air is drawn down the DC shaft and along each coal face.
To protect the Shafts, mining is illegal within the Shaft Pillar.
Memories of Durham Big Meeting
USWORTH COLLIERY LODGE BANNER
Approaching Usworth Station
ARRIVAL AT DURHAM
Usworth Lodge Banner en route to The Racecourse - 1953
Peter McGivern (bait tucked safely inside his jacket) accompanying The Banner down North Road.
CROSSING ELVET BRIDGE
Usworth Colliery Banner & Band en route to The County Hotel.
PASSING THE COUNTY HOTEL
ARRIVING AT THE RACECOURSE - 1952
OLD MOTHER RILEY
Matty Snell with the Usworth Lodge Banner - 1954.
Bobby Felton (3rd left, suit & tie) Andy Storey (blond curls, centre)
BACK IN NEW WASHINGTON
Usworth Lodge Banner turning into Manor Road - heading towards Usworth Miners' Welfare Hall.
Memorable 'Closure Photograph' - 1974
Contributed by Photographer and former Washington Grammar School pupil, Dr Stafford Linsley.
This image can be seen on the 'New' Usworth Lodge Banner.
Closure Announced!
Unidentified Press Cutting - April 1974.
Two Pairs of Pit Byuts and a Soap Dish!
Andy Storey & Peter Moran hang up their boots following the closure of Usworth Colliery in August 1974.
Demolition
Usworth Colliery Upcast Shaft Tower
[ Unidentified Press Cutting ]
Usworth Colliery Upcast Shaft Tower - Usworth Colliery Downcast Shaft Headgear, partially demolished
Usworth Colliery Downcast Shaft Headgear, partially demolished
Bob Scorer - Usworth Miner
Newspaper and Date unknown.
[ Thanks to Washington History Society. N.B. That's my correction! Jim ]
• • ◊ • •
Banner Ripped & Replaced
The Northern Echo - Durham Miners' Gala - Saturday, 10 July 2010
[ From a Northern Echo supplement found in the late David Simpson's 'Box of Memories'. Thanks to David's sisters, Laura and Lilian. ]
Poem By Lorna Prudhoe
Memories of an Usworth Lass
[ More of Lorna's Poems at What's Where; Poets' Corner. ]