Framwellgate Colliery

Coal mining in the Newton Hall area

The main colliery in the Newton Hall area was the Framwellgate Colliery, also called the Old Pit. This was situated at the area now occupied by housing, Bede Lodge Social Club, and retail areas off the appropriately named Pit Lane, between The Carrs houses to Cross Row, on Pit Lane.

The first small pit was opened at this site in 1815, but the larger colliery was started in 1838 by the Northern Mining Co. Sinking a shaft through 120ft of strata including quicksand involved a lot of piling and was very expensive. Opening in 1841, it was situated on the edge of the Carrs, a boggy area of uncultivated land then twice as large as now, since it included the whole area of current Framwellgate School site.

The initial colliery, which had bankrupted its original owners, came into the ownership of the Marchioness of Londonderry in 1859. Her purchase included 44 workmen’s houses and one for the agent, both on Front St and Pit Road. Most of these houses still exist today.

By the 1880s it was owned by the Framwellgate Coal and Coke Co., a subsidiary of the Acklam Ironworks of Middlesborough. It mainly worked the Hutton and Busty seams, the latter having four drawing shafts, Caterhouse, Framwellgate, Aykley Heads and Durham Main. Around half the output went to make coke, using banks of brick-built beehive ovens. [54]

To extract the coal, and agreement or indenture dated 24/12/1885 between Gustavus Russell Viscount Boyne (lessor) and three parties as lessee’s; John Stevenson of Middlesbrough, Richard Machell Jaques of Easby Abbey, Richmond and Joseph Dodds of Stockton on Tees (also an MP). This indenture was for £1885 for 21 years to extract coal and fireclay, and was replaced by a new indenture between similar parties dated 14/9/1888 which added the Framwellgate Coal and Coke Company as the main lessee, which company could be used to raise capital. [57]

New indenture dated 16/4/1891 where the Framwellgate Coal and Coke Company asking to work an addition seam of 40 yards in thickness or width within the Newton Hall estate boundary shown as C to D. The original mine working was between A to B [58]

New indenture dated 23/11/1897 between Viscount Boyne and the Framwellgate Coal and Coke Company for an extension to the original indenture terms to allow the Charlaw and Sacriston Collieries as sub-letter to work the named Hutton Seam to the north of the original agreement. The expanded mine workings by the Framwellgate Colliery which expands from the original indenture, enables the coal extraction from the underground seam routes rather than the above ground field structure. [59]

Correspondence dated 4/11/1898 between GB & JE Forster of 3 Eldon Square, Newcastle(Solicitors) to limit the mine workings on the Busty Seam by the Framwellgate Colliery under the Newton Hall estate. Acknowledged by John Shiel of Framwellgate Colliery on 7/11/1898 [59]

This correspondence indicates that the owners of the mineral rights (Viscount Boyne) were concerned that the colliery was extracting more coal than was within the original agreement, and therefore the full payments may not be made.

Agreement to extend the wayleave to allow transport of coal, etc along the existing route at the northern part of the Newton Hall estate. Dated 13/5/1895 for a 21-year lease between the new lessor Emma Maria Viscountess Boyne (wife of late Viscount) [60]. The route of this wayleave still exists today as a public footpath, cutting between the northern parts of the current housing estate. This wayleave (a temporary right of passage over, or through, land. It is a contractual right and does not bind successors in title) enabled coal extracted at the Old Pit (and New Pit) to be transported along a “railway” across the River Wear on the Belmont viaduct, to the first north-south main railway line, sometimes called the Leamside branch.

A new indenture [61] dated 24/2/1906 which contains several statements relating to the extent of the mine workings, and the agreement between Viscount Boyne and the Colliery.

The Newton Hall estate is listed as 633 acres
Requires a 40 yards separation between other mine workings
Requires a 60 yards separation in all directions away from the Mansion House and out-buildings
Rent stated as £300/year, in addition to a price per ton, but this is dependent on the price of coal extracted; coal price at 6/s per ton attracts 4d/ton duty, when coal price at over 6/s ton is then 4/d per ton duty plus 1d per 1s of additional coal price
Colliery does not pay for coal extracted for mine operations, but needs to declare what has been extracted before cleaning and washing
Colliery responsible for maintaining accurate weighting, for which rent is payable, as well as defining what the mine workers are paid.
Fireclay charged at 6d/ton extracted
Colliery expected to mine in orderly manner to maximise output, and therefore ensure increased rent to the lessor.

Agreement from Viscount Boyne for 21 years dated 3/8/1916 that the rent of £200/year for carriage of coal on the railway plus 0.5d/ton instead of the previous flat rate of 2s/ton of coal [62]

Correspondence, also on 3/8/1916 from Viscount Boyne to colliery that the tonnage rent would reduce to 3d/ton [63]

By 30/4/1920 the colliery is applying for an extension of the area they can work to extract coal to the east of the boundary of the furthest northern segment of Viscount Boyne’s land, and to take away the coal, fireclay and other strata. [64]

By 30/12/1920 another request to work coal from the Hutton and Busty seams, north of the Newton Hall estate but within land owned by Viscount Boyne. The strip of land between the two elements of the Newton Hall estate were owned by the Church (Ecclesiastic Commissioners Royalty), east of the Newton Grange farm (now Public House). [65]

By 10/7/1922 the colliery owners are withdrawing from their agreement to mine the coal in an area north of the Newton Hall estate [65] [66], which must mean that the colliery is no longer viable.

The 239 ovens were closed before WW1, due to the reduced amount of coal mined. Firebricks using the mined shale were also made until 1890. In 1896 there were 715 miners falling to 181 in 1924, the year when the seams were exhausted, and the pit closed. [54]

Fatalities at Old Pit were high, at least sixty-two, from the youngest a boy of eleven falling down the shaft when the winding rope broke in 1863 to the oldest, a man of seventy four who was crushed by a set of tubs in 1874.

Nearby was a house called Peewit Mires, Tewit Mires, or Trewit Myres on various maps and deeds at the time. This house was demolished after the colliery was closed (with the Durham County Council Repair depot being on the old colliery site in the 1950’s) just before the new bungalows were built between 76-90 Raby Road. [54]

The partner pit located 0.6 mile due west, Caterhouse, also called New Pit, High Pit or Dryburn Grange, was opened in 1894 with a more straightforward shaft sinking to the Brass Thill seam. These pits were connected both underground, and over ground by wagonway, which can still be seen between the Framwellgate School and the Carrs Nature Reserve. All coal from Caterhouse was taken to the Old Pit for screening. A crossing keeper stopped traffic on the Great North Road, at Framwellgate, using a red flag to let the engines and wagons pass. There was a small signal cabin, as well as a coal depot at this point, so buyers could load their carts near to the road.

The wagonway from Old Pit went gently downhill near to the Newton Grange pub to cross the Wear on the wooden Brasside bridge before joining the Lambton Railway system. In 1857 a new section of the wagonway joined the recently constructed North East Railway at Frankland Junction, near to the level crossing on Frankland Lane. This railway, built by George Hudson “The Railway King”, ran from Bishop Auckland, over the Wear on the eight arched stone and brick Belmont Viaduct to Leamside, where it joined the main route to Sunderland. [54]

The Framwellgate and Dryburn Grange Collieries are owned and run by the Framwellgate Coal and Coke Co., Limited. Two seams were worked – the "Hutton," 2 ft. 6 in., with 6in. at bottom; and the "Busty," 4 ft. exclusive of 10 in. band, at the depth of about 40 and 80 fathoms respectively. The daily output is from 900 to 1000 tons, rather more than one half of which is converted into coke, and the average number of hands employed is 700, and there are 239 coke ovens. [55]

Framwellgate Colliery data [56]:

Sinking Started: 05 Jan 1838

Productive 1855 to 1924

Highest employment in 1896 when 715 are recorded as working there (216 above ground and 499 below ground)

1905 to 1921 four seams are being worked, Busty, Harvey, Hutton, Low Main, but by 1923 only the Busty seam is still being worked.

Closed: 07 Nov 1924 when 181 people are recorded as working there.