	Adventure Pit	Index	Adventure Pit

Adventure Pit

(See also Rainton Colliery)

Location:

West Rainton
4 miles [6 km] NE of Durham

Map Ref:

(Sheet 88) NZ315470, 54° 49' 3" N, 1° 30' 34" W

Maps:

1860s map detailed map from the Ordnance Survey

1928 map from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide

1951 map from the Guide to the Coalfields (Colliery Guardian)

Opened:

1817

Closed:

21 Jul 1978

Sinking Started:

09 Jan 1816

Pits:

Shaft details for Adventure Pit

Owners:

1815 - Lord Londonderry

1912 - Messrs. Cooks

1914 - Rainton Colliery Co. Ltd.

1947 - National Coal Board (N.C.B.)

Output:

1888 - Coal.

1894 - Coal: Gas, Household, Steam.

1915 - Coal.

1921 - Coal. Fireclay.

1925 - Coal: Gas, Household, Manufacturing, Steam.

1930 - Coal: Gas, Household, Manufacturing, Steam.

1935 - Coal: Gas, Household, Manufacturing, Steam.

1940 - Coal: Gas, Household, Steam. (60,000 tons)

1947 - Coal: Gas, Household, Steam. (35,408 tons)

1950 - Coal: Gas, Household, Manufacturing.

1955 - Coal: Gas, Household, Manufacturing.

1960 - Coal: Gas, Household, Manufacturing.

1965 - Coal: Gas, Household.

1970 - Coal: Coking, Household.

1975 - Coal: Coking, Household.

1976 - Coal: Coking, Household.

1977 - Coal: Coking, Household.

Employment:

Year	Total	Below	Above
1883	399	399
1894	Standing
1896	Abandoned
1915	189	151	38
1921	240	184	56
1925	259	202	57
1930	175	137	38
1935	134	106	28
1940	389	286	103
1945	140	105	35
1947	142	109	33
1950	158	119	39
1955	155	122	33
1960	185	147	38
1965	92	77	15
1970	97	80	17
1975	103	85	18
1976	103	85	18
1977	101	91	10

NCB Employment Figures

Colliery Management (prior to 1970)

Seams Worked:

1915 - Five Quarter, Main Coal

1921 - Five Quarter, Main Coal, Maudlin

1925 - Five Quarter, Main

1930 - Five Quarter, Low Main, Main, Maudlin

1935 - Five Quarter, Main

1940 - Five Quarter, Main Coal, Maudlin

1950 - Five Quarter

1955 - Five Quarter

1960 - Low Main

1965 - Low Main, Main Coal

1970 - Low Main, Yard

1975 - Low Main, Yard

1976 - Low Main, Yard

1977 - Low Main, Yard

Catalogue of plans of abandoned mines for Adventure Pit

Notes:

1896 - Abandoned

1896, 31 Dec - Five Quarter, High Main, Low Main seams abandoned - Mineral being unprofitable to work

1911 - Reopened

1938, 12 Feb - Low Main, Maudlin seams abandoned

Miscellaneous Notes and Incidents for Adventure Pit

Description

At the Rainton Colliery, which is the property of the Marquis of Londonderry, there are three pits from which coal is raised, named the Adventure, Alexandrina, and Meadow pits, sunk in the years, 1817, 1824, and 1824 respectively. The seams worked are the Five Quarter, High Main, Maudlin, and Low Main, the Hutton seam being practically exhausted. The coals produced are Londonderry Wallsend, Pittington Wallsend, and Londonderry Primrose, for household purposes, and the Hartley for steam purposes. Number of stationary engines in use is 31 ; boilers, 38 ; number of men and boys employed, 1185 ; houses occupied by workmen, 835.

Whellan's 1894 Directory of County Durham

Disasters (5 or more killed)

None Found

Names of those killed at this colliery

Please note that this collection of names is by no means complete!

						Angles, J. J., 07 Jun 1861, aged 13, Greaser, crushed between locomotive engine tender and waggons
						Bolam, George, 09 May 1843, cage accident [More information ...]
						Bullen, Benjamin, 23 Jun 1918, (accident: 22 Jun 1918), aged 14, Belt Lad, he was crushed between a tub and the tipper on the pit heap, Buried: St. Barnabas Churchyard, Bournmoor on 27 Jun 1918 {NBI}
						Burton, Frank Edward, 25 Jan 1926, aged 15, Screen Lad, crushed by flywheel of engine [More information ...]
						Cardy, Robert, 14 May 1870, aged 53, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone
						Clavering, Matthew, 06 May 1843, aged 63, The inquest into the death of Matthew Clavering was held on Saturday, 6 May at Colliery Row. The deceased was working in the Adventure Pit when a large stone fell from the roof and crushed him; he died only 20 minutes after it was removed, [date of inquest]
						Collin, William, 27 Jan 1880, aged 61, Wasteman, fall of stone in the waste while passing under it
						Craggs, Francis, 08 Mar 1848, killed by a fall of stone [Newcastle Courant - 10 Mar 1848]
						Dixon, John, Aug 1833, Driver, horse ran away and the wheels of the laden waggon ran over his body which injured him severely [Sunderland Herald reports: accident - 10 Aug 1833 pg 4 col 4]
						Dodds, Henry, 23 Jun 1944, aged 54, Buried: Churchyard of St. Mary the Virgin, West Rainton
						Gibson, Ernest, 12 Jun 1922, aged 17, Driver, killed by a fall of coal and stone
						Hall, Michael, 28 Jul 1846, (accident: 21 Jul 1846), aged 50, Deputy Overman, He had been propping the roof in the "broken" on 21 July, when he was crushed by a massive stone which weighed about a ton. He suffered severe spinal injuries and a broken left thigh, and died on 28 July
						Hall, Thomas, 12 Aug 1859, aged 12, Horse Driver, killed by a fall of stone
						Harle, Frederick, 22 Jan 1920, (accident: 02 Oct 1918), aged 29, He suffered a spinal injury on 2nd Oct 1918 when struck by a fall of stone; his marra was killed outright; he remained in hospital until his death by pneumonia, Buried: Churchyard/Cemetery, Newfield [More information ...]
						Heron, Robert, 01 Oct 1859, aged 13, Switchkeeper, killed by waggons on surface
						Hughes, Joseph, 05 Feb 1881, aged 25, Collier, he got into a refuge hole to allow an engine set to pass, the set had been divided and a lengthening chain put on 13 yards long, as soon as the first part of the run passed him he stepped out thinking all was right, when the second part of the set knocked him down and killed him
						Maxwell, John, 27 Jul 1885, (accident: 19 Jul 1883), aged 66, Furnaceman, severely crushed by cage; after rapping it away he crept through the safety chain into the cage hole and the descending cage came on to him
						McCullock, Richard, 26 Nov 1867, aged 75, Wasteman, crushed by a tub in the tramway
						Stoker, Matthew, 06 Nov 1880, (accident: 05 Nov 1880), aged 42, Deputy, severely crushed against the roof while riding outbye on set of tubs, contrary to orders
						Tate, John, 09 May 1843, cage accident [More information ...]
						Thompson, John, 18 Aug 1872, (accident: 31 Jul 1872), aged 52, Switch Keeper, crushed by tubs on engine plane
						Walker, Henry, 30 Jun 1926, aged 17, he and Richard Bilclough (19) were looking for coal on the waste heap near Adventure Colliery on Wednesday, 30 June, when they were buried by a fall of pit refuse weighing several tons; rescuers rushed to dig them out and after half an hour they reached Bilclough, who was badly bruised, but alive; when Walker was taken out, artificial respiration was tried by an overman, but the lad had died
						Wilson, George, 13 Mar 1867, aged 23, Shifter, killed by a fall of stone
						Wilson, Robert, 02 Oct 1918, aged 44, Hewer, killed by a fall of stone [More information ...]

						24 names found

If you know of any fatalities missing from the above list then please contact us with the details and we will add them to our database.

Those names marked with , have a web page providing individual details of the accident, the page may also include a photograph of the deceased. Click on the symbol next to the name to see the web page.

Some of the names of mining fatalities on this web site have been kindly provided by Jim Grainger from his research into early newspapers (primarily the Durham Advertiser and Durham Chronicle) and are marked with .

Some of the names of mining fatalities on this web site have been extracted from material deposited at the North East England Mining Archive and Research Centre (NEEMARC) — principally the records of the Durham Miners' Association and are marked with .

more information on some of the fatalities shown above

The following unnamed fatalities are listed in the Mines Inspectors Reports, once again this collection is not complete!

Date							Inspectors Remarks
03 Dec 1856	–	–	–	–	1	1	branch horse driver

Collieries and Pits within 5 miles (8km)

a simulated map showing the immediate vicinity of Adventure Pit

list of collieries/pits etc. near to Adventure Pit

Gallery Images:

Credits

Sources:

NEEMARC - Ref: NUMDA/6/1/1/1, Reports of the Compensation Department, Vol I covering Sep 1918-Dec 1919
1859 Mines Inspectors Report, Southern District by John J. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines
1861 Mines Inspectors Report, Southern District by John J. Atkinson, H.M. Inspector of Mines
1867 Mines Inspectors Report
1870 Mines Inspectors Report (C 456) Where to find this report
1872 Mines Inspectors Report (C. 840), South Durham, Westmoreland, and Cleveland District by James Willis, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1880 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1880 Mines Inspectors Report (C 2903) Where to find this report
1881 Mines Inspectors Report (C 3241)
1881 Mines Inspectors Report (C 3241), Durham District by Thomas Bell, H.M. Inspector of Mines Where to find this report
1885 Mines Inspectors Report (C 4760) Where to find this report
1888 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1890 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1894 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1896 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department, also available online at Peak District Mines Historical Society Ltd
1915 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1919 List of Mines - from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide
1921 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1925 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1930 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1935 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1940 Colliery Year Book and Coal Trades Directory published by Louis Cassier Co. Ltd.
1945 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1947 The Colliery Year Book and Coal Trades Directory. Published by The Louis Cassier Co. Ltd., from a copy held in the Scottish Mining Museum, Newtongrange, Midlothian
1950 List of Mines - Government report from the Mines Department
1955 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1960 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1965 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1970 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1975 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1976 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1977 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
An Account of the strata of Northumberland & Durham as proved by Borings & Sinkings, Volume L-R, published by the North of England Institute of Mining & Mechanical Engineers, 1887
Banners of the Durham Coalfield, Norman Emery, 1998, Sutton Publishing Ltd., ISBN 0-7509-1708-3
Contributions by members of the Public
Headstone(s) in Churchyard (Church Demolished), Newfield
Headstone(s) in St. Barnabas Churchyard, Bournmoor
Headstone(s) in St. Mary the Virgin Churchyard, West Rainton
History, Topography, and Directory of the County Palatine of Durham by Francis Whellan. Second edition published in 1894.
Mineral Statistics for 1883 - Government report from the Mines Department (C 4058), published in 1884 — includes List of Mines and Mineral Works
Mineral Statistics for 1884 - Government report from the Mines Department (C 4430), published in 1885 — includes List of Mines and Openworks
National Burial Index published by The Federation of Family History Societies & Associates
Sunderland Herald

Pictures:

Colliery picture provided by David Kitching

Further Research:

Research Notes for Adventure Pit

Mail:
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