	Monkton Coking Plant	Index	Monkton Coking Plant

Monkton Coking Plant

Location:	Hebburn 4 miles [6 km] E of Newcastle
Map Ref:	(Sheet 88) NZ314627, 54° 57' 28" N, 1° 30' 35" W
Opened:
Closed:
Output:	1961 - Coke. (200,000 tons)
	1964 - Coke. (191,000 tons)
	1965 - Coke.
	1972 - Coke.
	1979 - Coke.
	1980 - Coke.
	1981 - Coke.
	1982 - Coke.
	1983 - Coke.
	1988 - Coke.
Employment:	1961 - 222
	1964 - 213

Description

The plant consisted of two batteries of 33 Woodall-Duckham Koppers type regenerative silica ovens built in 1937 and 1956 respectively. The older battery, which had reached the end of its life, closed in 1960, but has not been dismantled.

The plant operates at 18 hours coking time and carbonises 285,000 tons per annum of washed coal from the adjoining Monkton washery to which coal is delivered over the Board’ s private railway. There are twenty-six blending bunkers with a total capacity of 3,000 tons.

Since October 1963 the plant has produced ‘Sunbrite’ from gas making coals and there are good landsale facilities and capacity for stocking and reclaiming 250,000 tons of coke.

6 million cubic feet of gas per day, purified in tower purifiers are supplied to the Northern Gas Board.

Ammonia is recovered as sulphate and tar is sent to Ness works for distillation. Crude benzole from Monkton and other ovens is refined at Monk ton . Water for gas cooling etc., is pumped 6 miles from Kibblesworth Colliery, town’s water being used in the water tube boilers which are fired with coal and coke breeze fitted with burners for gas and tar fuels.

Effluents which cannot be absorbed on the works are discharged via a sewer into the River Tyne.

Coking Plants, 1964

Disasters (5 or more killed)

None found.

Names of those killed at this colliery

No names found.

Collieries and Pits within 5 miles (8km)

a simulated map showing the immediate vicinity of Monkton Coking Plant

list of collieries/pits etc. near to Monkton Coking Plant

Gallery Images:

Credits

Sources:

1965 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1972 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1979 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1980 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1981 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1982 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1983 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1988 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
NCB - Coal Products Division, Northern Region: Details of Coking and Briquetting Plants, June 1964
NCB - Durham Division: Details of Coking and Ancillary Plants, January 1961

Pictures:

Picture from NCB Information Booklet