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	Willington Colliery	Index	Willington Colliery

Location:	Willington Quay 4½ miles [7 km] ENE of Newcastle
Map Ref:	(Sheet 88) NZ315672, 54° 59' 54" N, 1° 30' 27" W
Maps:	1807 map from "The Picture of Newcastle Upon Tyne…", published in 1807 by D. Akenhead
	1860s map detailed map from the Ordnance Survey
	1898 map from Reid's Handy Colliery Guide
Opened:	1806
Closed:
Pits:	Edward Pit, locn: (Sheet 88) NZ314684
	Shaft details for Edward Pit
	High Pit
	Low Pit
	Millbank Pit, locn: (Sheet 88) NZ319686, sinking: 23 Feb 1775
	Shaft details for Millbank Pit
	Richard Pit, locn: (Sheet 88) NZ281690, sinking: 15 Oct 1810
	Shaft details for Richard Pit
	Venture Pit
	Shaft details for Venture Pit
Owners:	???? - Messrs. Bell & Co.
Output:	1855 - Coal.
	Catalogue of plans of abandoned mines for Willington Colliery
Notes:	1842 - The High Main Seam being abandoned and tubbed off at Tyne Main Colliery in this year, an arrangement was entered into with the owners of Felling, Walker, Wallsend, Willington and Heaton Collieries, under which they contributed to the cost of keeping the large pumping engine at Friar's Goose at work to prevent the water from passing to the dip. The quantity of water raised by the engine at Friar's Goose Pit in 1849 amounted to 1,170 gallons per minute.
	1930, 10 Sep - Bensham seam abandoned
	1934 - High Main, Bensham seams abandoned

Description

This colliery is situated about a quarter of a mile east from the village of Wallsend. It was begun about 1806, and has been wrought by three shafts, including a water shaft to the Bensham seam. The shaft and engine represented in our view occupy the summit of an eminence overhanging a deep dean, through which a rivulet makes its way to the Tyne near Willington Quay. The shaft is 108 fathoms deep to the thill of the main seam, which is here six feet thick. The Bensham seam is 37 fathoms lower, and is expected to average at least four feet thick; though, where it has been won, it is of even more promising dimensions. For many years, however, this seam remained unworked; and an attempt to open it in 1831 was attended by a fatal accident. In sinking a staple from the High Main or Wallsend seam to the Bensham, an explosion of gas occurred, about nine o'clock in the morning of the 20th of September in that year, by which three men and eight horses were killed on the spot, and other fourteen of the men were severely burnt, four of whom afterwards died in consequence. The whole complement of men were in the colliery at the time of the accident; but the greater part were enabled to effect their escape by means of another shaft, up which they were drawn in time to save their lives. So great was the evolution of gas from the staple, that it was found necessary to arch it over in the manner of a gasometer, and, by a number of pipes, the inflammable air was, for a considerable period, conveyed "to bank," where it was consumed by ignition, in the same manner as at Wallsend. Such, however, have been the improvements effected in the ventilation of the pit, by the sinking of an additional shaft to the Bensham seam, and by other means, that the working of that seam is about to be resumed with increased vigour, and for which preparations are making on an extensive scale.

Views of the Collieries (1844)

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!

						Armstrong, Joseph, 20 Sep 1831, killed in the 1831 explosion [More information ...]
						Black, George, 01 Jan 1852, fell down the shaft as he was going to work
						Cowell, Thomas, 20 Sep 1831, killed in the 1831 explosion [More information ...]
						Dodds, John, 31 Jan 1856, aged 60, died from natural causes in the pit
						Martin, Michael, 20 Sep 1831, killed in the 1831 explosion [More information ...]
						Nicholls, Thomas, 20 Sep 1831, killed in the 1831 explosion [More information ...]
						Twigs, Benjamin, 20 Sep 1831, killed in the 1831 explosion [More information ...]
						7 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 page have been kindly provided by Ian Winstanley of the Coal Mining History Resource Centre (CMHRC) and are marked with . The CMHRC is available here.

  more information on some of the fatalities shown above

Collieries and Pits within 5 miles (8km)

  a simulated map showing the immediate vicinity of Willington Colliery (NBL)

  list of collieries/pits etc. near to Willington Colliery (NBL)

Gallery Images:

Credits

Sources:

Pictures:

Related Links:

	On this site
	Newspaper articles
	Views of the Collieries in the Counties of Northumberland and Durham by T. H. Hair (1844) — Willington Colliery
	Evidence given to the 1842 Children's Employment Commission
	Pictures in the Gallery section for Willington Colliery

Further Reading:

• Explosions in Coal Mines by W. N. & J. B. Atkinson, published in 1886

Further Research:

  Research Notes for Willington Colliery