East Castle Colliery was one of countless operations in this century from the early 19th to the early 20th centuries. Coal has been worked here since the 16th and 17th centuries, but more recent to that it was exploited to support the production of lime at the kilns just under the road. it later went on to be used in the metal working processes Consett is known for.

East Castle was one such pit opened by Bainbridge, Kissop & Co. around the 1860s. It occupied a site next to the Bantling Castle house and featured 2 lines of coke ovens, with the coal predominantly used here for coking and metal working at a later stage. A village was also constructed for its workers to its west, which featured a chapel also. A quarry was also established presumably for the construction of these houses.

Notice was given to the 100 men employed at the pit in 1886 to terminate their engagements, but it does appear the colliery continued operations under the East Pontop Coal Co. They also owned East Pontop Colliery at Harelaw.

The site was entirely cleared in the first half of the 20th century, and there is now very little trace.