wau01a
West Auckland Colliery
West Auckland
54.636015, -1.718992
Opened:
Closed:
1838
1967
Entry Created:
11 Mar 2024
Last Updated:
11 Mar 2024
Redeveloped
Condition:
Owners:
Jonathan Backhouse (1838), Messrs. Edmund Backhouse & Co. (1850s), Bolckow Vaughan (1850s), Ramshaw Coal Co. Ltd. (1930s), National Coal Board
Description (or HER record listing)
NEHL - West Auckland Colliery stood at the north end of the village for almost 130 years. It opened in 1838 after a full year of sinking. The seam was known to be six foot thick, and was first obtained by Jonathan Backhouse Esq., presumably the same Jonathan who financed the Stockton & Darlington Railway as one of Darlington's prominent bankers.
The pit was sizeable even as early as the 1850. There were at least 2 lines of coal ovens directly connected to the Stockton & Darlington. It was modernised by the 1890s, with at least 3 access shafts on the site. St Helen & West Auckland developed around the pit, expanding the boundaries of the pre-existing villages.
The pit was later owned by Bolckow Vaughan and the National Coal Board. The site is now housing.

Ordnance Survey, 1859

Historic England Photograph: raf_106g_uk_1700_rs_4007 flown 27/08/1946 (27 August 1946)
Have we missed something, made a mistake, or have something to add? Contact us
Historic Environment Records
Durham/Northumberland: Keys to the Past
Tyne and Wear: Sitelines
​
HER information as described above is reproduced under the basis the resource is free of charge for education use. It is not altered unless there are grammatical errors.
Historic Maps provided by
