Pre 1890 |  | Collieries across the County of Durham worked the north and south sides of the Butterknowle Fault successfully. |
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1892-94 | | Messrs Whitwell, Fryer, Grieveson and Dale, later known as the Woodland Collieries Company Limited had trial boring done to prove the extent of coal reserves west of Copley on the south side of the Butterknowle Fault. |
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1894-96 | | Coal reserves proved. Commenced the sinking 2 shafts at Cowley, the main shaft to the Victoria seam. Woodland tramway laid to Cowley to transport coal to Woodland (Back) Pit. Seams worked were Top and Bottom Busty, Brockwell and Marshall Green. |
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1900-5 | | Exploitation of coal reserves at Arn Gill began about this time. Woodland tramway extended to Arn Gill, total length 2,730 yards, average grade 1 in 23. Tramway grade maintained using viaducts and tunnels allowing coal sets to run to Arn Gill. |
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1913-14 | | Woodland Collieries Company Limited went into liquidation, their assets at the Back Pit, Cowley and Arn Gill were taken over by the Cargo Fleet Iron Company. |
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1921 | | Woodland Colliery closed down, with demolition lasting two years. |
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1921-3 | | West Pits Company Limited take over Arn Gill. The Back Pit haulage engine conitnued to haul coals from Arn Gill, it finally shut down in 1923. |
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1923-6 | | West Pits Co. Ltd. owned by Waller and Hind working the remainder of reserves at Arn Gill, west of the abandoned tramway tunnel. Seams worked were Bottom Busty and Brockwell. Tramway to Arngill's Middle and Western Drifts - 1,936 yards long. |
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1926 | | Possible installation of aerial flight from Arn Gill to Gibbsnees siding on the Bishop Auckland to Barnard Castle Railway, two miles west of Cockfield Station. Cost possibly born by public subscription in the same way as roads were built at this time, by out of work miners who were on national strike. |
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1930 | | West Pits open the Duke of York Drift, nicknamed the Curve Pit, 800 yards east of the old tramway tunnel on the south side of Arn Gill, to work the Marshall Green seam, locally known as the Cowley seam. The bulk of production was transported by aerial flight to Gibbsnees Siding. |
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1947 | | National Coal Board take over the Duke of York Drifts, owner John Ralph Hind. Mine was abandoned in the same year.
National Coal Board opened Arnghyll Drift mine to work a limited area of Marshall Green seam, located between Hill House Farm and the old barn 400 yards to the east and 100 yards from the Steele Road that passes through the area. |
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1948 | | Jack Hind moved on when the NCB appointed Harry Turner as Mine Manager. |
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1951 | | Arn Gill Drift closed due to threat of an inrush of water from the Woodland Back Pit old workings. |
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1951-2 | | Salvage done to clear the site, by a team from Randolph Colliery. As one of this team (Brian Turner) I remember it very clearly. The old steam haulage engine, a number of old tub tracks, a gantry, aerial flight including the carrying towers and the storage hopper at Gibbsnees all part of the job. Trees have been planted to hide the industrial scars but on close investigation one can find remains dating back to 1910. |
