Wideopen Colliery

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Disasters (5 or more killed)

Names of those killed at this colliery

Collieries and Pits within 5 miles (8km)

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	Wideopen Colliery	Index	Wideopen Colliery

Location:	Wideopen 5½ miles [9 km] NNW of Newcastle
Map Ref:	(Sheet 88) NZ245724, 55° 2' 45" N, 1° 36' 59" W
Maps:	1860s map detailed map from the Ordnance Survey
Opened:	1825
Closed:
Sinking Started:	Apr 1825
First Coal:	May 1827
Pits:	A Pit
	Shaft details for A Pit
	B Pit
	Shaft details for B Pit
Owners:	1820s - Thackrah, Perkins & Co.

The hamlet of Wideopen is about 5½ miles north from Newcastle, in the parish of Long Benton. The colliery is situated on the east side of the great north road, and is worked by Messrs. Perkins and Thackrah. Sinking was commenced here in April, 1825; and the first coals were drawn in May, 1827. There are two shafts, contiguous to each other, for the drawing of coal, and another for the pumping engine. The depth to the High Main seam, which here averages 3 feet 10 inches in thickness, is 80 fathoms. This is the only seam yet wrought here; but, 25 fathoms below it, the next seam is 3 feet thick. A boring was made from the High Main to the Bensham seam, which is here 76 fathoms lower; but its thickness was found to be only 10 inches of good coal, and consequently not workable. The working engines are of 18 and 24 horse power respectively; and the pumping engine is 74 horse power. The screens are covered in, so as to protect the men and boys working at them from the weather; and they are lighted at night by gas, for which purpose a neat gasometer has been constructed near the pit. In addition to the workshops usual at collieries, here is a saw-mill worked by a steam-engine of 6 horse power. The waggons used here and at Fawdon colliery differ from those at other places in size and shape, each containing only half a chaldron, and being rectangular in form. The total length of railway from the colliery to the Tyne, near Percy Main estate, is 9¾ miles 193 yards ; and there are five standing engines upon it; but there are also several locomotive engines used. The coals are called in the market "Perkins' Wallsend;".

Views of the Collieries (1844)

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An Account of the strata of Northumberland & Durham as proved by Borings & Sinkings, Volume U-Z, published by the North of England Institute of Mining & Mechanical Engineers, 1897
Contributions by members of the Public
Pigot & Co.'s Trade Directory of Northumberland. Published in 1822
Views of the Collieries in the Counties of Northumberland and Durham by T. H. Hair. First published in 1844.

Gibson, John, 26 Nov 1833, Engineman, killed by the bursting of one of the boilers of the main pumping engine [More information ...]

Maughan, Matthew, 10 Dec 1842, aged 35, accidently killed by the props falling on him [date of newspaper report]

2 names found

Views of the Collieries in the Counties of Northumberland and Durham by T. H. Hair. First published in 1844.