Some 40 years after them being a major employer, there’s barely any trace in many places unless you know what you’re looking for.

This is the site of Boldon Colliery, which stood next to the Stanhope & Tyne Railway - Tyneside’s original mainline to the south. The pit opened in 1869, when coal really was king. In fact, the whole parish was mostly comprised of colliery workers and a whole village was created to accommodate the 1000+ workers here by the 1890. This made it, by my knowledge, one of the biggest colliery employers in the area at that time.

Those who sunk it were the owners of the pits at South Shields - Messrs. Wood, Blackett, Philipson and Anderson who operated the Hatton and Hilda collieries. The main who sunk it was William Coulson, the trusted lead sinker who led the efforts at the Hartley Pit Disaster and therefore a gentleman we actually have photos of (https://x.com/neheritagelib/status/1950608786466746449). It was the quickest sinking in Durham and Northumberland up to that time, and miraculously without any death. There was also no major disaster at the pit throughout its whole life. For most of its working life the coal was hewn for purposes of gas - for heating and lighting. By 1925 it was sold for domestic use as well as steam.

At its peak, 2500 people worked above and below ground here. As a result the village had every amenity you’d imagine - hotels, churches of every denomination, a miners hall and school. A few of the old miners rows still remain next to this site.

It was a late survivor, closing in 1982 when the NCB’s axe was sharpest partly due to recession reducing the output of coal. Some might remember the massive stockpile here at the time. The pit head baths were intended to be moved to Beamish, but sadly there’s little visible remnant apart from waste here and there.