Washington Colliery, I Pit. This was served by the Washington Wagonway, (HER 2624).

Washington Colliery was opened before 1794. There were nine pits, A-I. Owners were W. Russel Esq., in 1850s Bell and others, then Bell, Kipster & Co, then William Stobart and lastly the Washington Coal Co Ltd.

There were many colliery disasters - on 14 June 1736, 5 miners were killed in an explosion, on 12 February 1796, 6 were killed, 7 on 27 February 1797, 14 on 20 November 1828, 34 on 19 August 1851 and on 31 May 1867 10 miners were killed when a shaft fell down. New offices were opened in 1893. In 1894 900 people worked at the colliery.

In 1901 sinking began to the Harvey seam at a depth of 720 feet. The first 120 feet were quicksands - the first British application of the Poetsch freezing method was used to sink through the sands.

NEHL - The I Pit was located at the Washington Galleries Retail Park, just north of the old Glebe Farm along the Washington waggonway. It featured around half a dozen sidings as well as a pit pond and substantial pit heap. The nearby pit village also included a Wesleyan chapel.

The B Pit was just up the road, and featured an engine house which likely powered the waggonway.