Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'

Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum'
[ Norman Dunn's 'Hebburn and our Neighbours Forum' ]

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An experiment I tried & its worked

Posted by Norman on 15/10/2025, 3:39 pm
Edited by board administrator 15/10/2025, 3:41 pm

I wrote the History about coal mining in our area many years ago. I like to put a bit local history on the board and wondered if this would load onto the board and it did. If your interested in how we got our coal for our fires years ago read this..
When I was talking to a fellow apprentice recently we said our generation must be amongst the last witnesses of deep coal mining so hope you enjoy it. Click the link & hope you can read it ok.
LEFT CLICK OVER IT & IT GETS LARGE & YOU CAN THEN SCROLL DOWN>

Re: An experiment I tried & its worked

Posted by Bill Wallace on 15/10/2025, 5:38 pm, in reply to "An experiment I tried & its worked"

Well done Norman. A good read. It's amazing how much has changed in our lifetime.

Re: An experiment I tried & its worked

Posted by Stan Wears on 15/10/2025, 6:12 pm, in reply to "An experiment I tried & its worked"

Thanks Norman. A very interesting article. Working in such a hazardous industry must have been hard and I doubt if young people today could do it. No disrespect to them but having served my time at Marconi I know how lucky I was. My best friend's dad hung himself at Wardley colliery in the 1960's. Bob Robson. R.I.P

Re: An experiment I tried & its worked

Posted by Allan C. on 15/10/2025, 8:36 pm, in reply to "An experiment I tried & its worked"

Very informative Norman. I shudder at the thought of those narrow seams. I assume that you had to get used to them quickly!

A couple of questions First the Wallsend pit disaster of 1835 was an explosion in the Bensham seam. Did the seams from Wallsend extend over to Hebburn at that time.

My GGGG/F Ralph Waggitt or Waggot Age 75 plus 3 other relatives killed that day

2nd how many levels of mine workings are there under Hebburn and how far did they extend. I think you put up a map some years ago.

Did seams extend to other areas like South Shields etc. no doubt some came close to each other.

Re: An experiment I tried & its worked

Posted by Carol in hampshire on 15/10/2025, 9:40 pm, in reply to "Re: An experiment I tried & its worked"

What was the retirement age for miners in the 40/50's

Re: An experiment I tried & its worked

Posted by Norman on 16/10/2025, 9:38 am, in reply to "Re: An experiment I tried & its worked"
Edited by board administrator 16/10/2025, 4:32 pm

This is from my memory as I'm not an expert. I just served my engineering apprenticeship & then because I didnt like the three shift system, I moved to Sigmund Pumps Service Dept on the Team Valley in Gateshead..
All coal mines in our NE area were in what was known as the 'Great Northern Coalfield' and the same coal seams were there underneath. A bit like a massive cake with numerous layers of jam and cream.
Hebburn & Wallsend Colliery were linked underground and worked the same coal seams.
I can only speak of my memory from Wardley Colliery where the deepest seam was 1480ft down, then another above it at the 1260ft, then a seam called 'The Hutton' at about 1100 ft & one called 'The Maudlin' at about 10,000ft.
There was other another coal seam about 100 ft down called 'The Monkton seam' but I dont know if they ever worked that. I know the Monks at Jarrow worked that one using the 'Bell Pit' method described in my article.
Miners in the 40s and 50s would have retired at 65
like every one else Carol. Because of their age they'd probably have been put on lighter work.

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