Research Projects

by Dru Trenholm

Sinking of the Shaft

Horden Collieries Limited who owned Shotton, Horden and Castle Eden collieries, completed the sidings in 1908 in preparation for the sinking of the colliery at Blackhall. This took place in 1909, initially to provide water for the village rather than to raise coal, there being no other fresh water supply. The first shaft was called “The Staple” and the water pumped to a newly built reservoir near Blue House Farm. As the filter beds were not installed the water was salty and could only be used for washing and cleaning. Water for drinking had to be carried from a spring just below Blue House Farm.

The sinking of the main shaft for mining coal began in 1909. My great-uncle Sam Cadwallender was one of the first sinkers. The sinkers came from different places – some had stayed in the area after sinking nearby collieries, others had been involved with the building of the docks at Hartlepool and the building of the viaducts at Crimdon Dene and Dene Holme. Irish immigrants, tin miners from Cornwall made up the workforce. The first coals were drawn in 1913. The difficult nature of the strata created great problems. The thick cover of Permian limestone was under laid by porous, crumbly sand containing large volumes of water, the depth of the sand being about 16 metres.

To overcome this problem, this section of the strata was frozen when it was reached by the sinkers. Water was to be a lasting problem for the Colliery and was a major factor in its eventual closure. In 1923, water from the old workings of the Castle Eden colliery broke into the Blackhall Colliery workings. To contain the water, pumping engines were employed at the shaft continuously. The Castle Eden shaft was kept open and pumping engines were also used there. The shaft was sunk to a depth of between 440 and 475 metres and passed through at different levels, the Three-Quarter, Five-Quarter, Main, Low Main and Hutton seams. The two main shafts, South Pit and North Pit, when completed would have diameters of 22 feet and a depth of 1200 feet.

The sinking at Blackhall became the final phase of the Durham Coalfield reaching out under the sea for approximately 3 miles. The sinking method at Blackhall was similar to that used at Horden with wooden head gear and steam power which needed a huge 180ft chimney but this was soon replaced by electric winding gear which could raise 18,000 tons a week. With no need for chimneys to belch out smoke and steam into the air and no need for a spoil heap – the waste was disposed into sea by aerial ropeway – the pit was the most modern in the land by 1916 and Blackhall was a cleaner village than most. The tragedy was that one of the most beautiful stretches of sand in Britain was soon to become a desolate wasteland. Easington and Horden were quick to follow this terrible practice.

This is part of a series of projects, others are listed below:

Blackhall Colliery and Village (Part 1) - Early history

Blackhall Colliery and Village (Part 2) - Industrialisation

Blackhall Colliery and Village (Part 4) - Housing and employment

Blackhall Colliery and Village (Part 5) - The village

Blackhall Colliery and Village (Part 6) - Post war years

Blackhall Colliery and Village (Part 7) - Full circle

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