Bricks and Geology

[pilgrim]

now the boring bit --  

there is a brick called a Bedlington common  which was produced by NEB ltd.(stamped in the 'frog'  not sure where it was produced but could have been at Choppington or any of the other brickworks. Get your tape measures out - it has a ratio of 1:2.92 - now that is easy enough to identify!!!  (they were used in many locations in the rea and also seemed to produce a finer facing brick)

Also attached is a survey from 1990 which will make more sense to the miners on the  site but I think its also very informative - its about the BUTTERWELL but covers the area and is quite comprehensive re all the seams etc. and I found it very informative and puts into context where all things were. Maybe some could put other things on the information.

its worth looking through as it also gives the date of when the seams were abandoned in each pit

coal seam geology.pdf

Edited November 19, 2017 by pilgrim
very bad grammar

[Canny lass]

I'm sure this will make totally riveting reading for Vic and HPW. I'll stick to Private Eye and wait for the synopsis! Interesting to see the extent of the area worked at Netherton Colliery though. BIG!

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

18 hours ago, pilgrim said:

its worth looking through as it also gives the date of when the seams were abandoned in each pit

coal seam geology.pdf

When the download got passed 1MB and when opened the pdf file was 127 pages I began to 'brick-it' immediately - that's me out!

I'll wait for the movie or HPW to convert it into proper speak.

[pilgrim]

persevere -- the dates for the seam closures are on the last pages -and since the nights are getting darker and colder it will give you something to do in the evenings!!

[Canny lass]

2 hours ago, pilgrim said:

the nights are getting darker and colder it will give you something to do in the evenings!!

..... and I thought that I lead a sheltered life!!

[pilgrim]

no worry canny lass - I have  a bundle of the last few weeks privates eyes to send to you -- if you can cope - 

[James]

It was a surprise to find out that, according to the comment below taken from the report, there are records of coal being mined in this area going back almost 800 years.

"The Moorland Seam is named from Bedlington Moor Land, near the present Bedlington Station, where the coal was mined at least as early as the 18th century. One of the earliest records of local mining in England is near Blyth, where, in 1236, the Moorland Seam was worked along and near its outcrop westwards through Cowpen to Bebside.”

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

Not all of it dad, I have school in the morning :- 

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Phew!!!!!!!

Too much ti tek in on a late neet after lbj waakies!!

Wat a did notice was the facts and figures weren't  exactly accurate!

A didn't see any reference ti the Aad pit at Bedltn Station working the High Main Seam,where it was 10 feet high and full of bands every few inches apart...basically rubbish hoose coal!....then it went doon ti under five feet high at the finish.

The Denton Low Main was the last Seam worked before closure of the pit,and aa knaa,cos aa was on development,winning oot new roads and coalfaces in that seam..coalcutting etc.[handfilling wi a greet nasty pan shuul!]

Choppington High Pit worked the Top Busty for the last couple o' years before closing in 1966.The Beaumont Seam was the only other Seam worked before that for a lot of years before aa started in 1959!

Aal the seams mentioned in the report such as the Bensham etc were long long long gone by the late 1950's,cos aad timers used ti tell me aboot them,plus aa had ti gaan inti aad workings ti salvage girders etc oot,when a was only 16 yrs aad!![Nae hanging aroond the station corner for lads like me in them days!!]

Time for zzzzzzzzz's!! 

Here's wor lass seeking me thinking aav faalen asleep.again!!

[James]

The same seam often had a different name at another colliery,

e.g The Beaumont seam at the Doctor Pit (Bedlington D) was called the Harvey seam at the Aad Pit (Bedlington A).

On page 15 of the report, this is clarified with the best piece of technical jargon I’ve read in ages -

“Seam nomenclature suffers considerably from homonyms and synonyms, arising both from mis-correlation and from the plethora of local names introduced by private colliery companies.”

To prevent the confusion that can arise using the names of seams the NCB assigned letters to the seams, The Harvey is N, The Plessey is M etc. The report makes use of the letters in the report.

[pilgrim]

it is worth bearing in mind, as well that, in days of the private coal companies they were not averse to trespassing into other coal companies excavation areas and falsified the underground plans with an official set and an actual set. (allegedly)

[Canny lass]

On 2017-11-20 at 17:11, pilgrim said:

no worry canny lass - I have  a bundle of the last few weeks privates eyes to send to you -- if you can cope - 

That’s a very kind offer but only recently I received some back-numbers from a friend in England – a friend with impeccable taste in reading material, I might add. The experience of once again burying my head in their pages transported me back to my younger days where I rediscovered my former self – so much so that I once again have a subscription to this wonderful piece of literature.

[pilgrim]

James - I have mentioned in other parts of this site that very old artifacts were found when the opencast at Cramlington (Plessey) reached some very old workings which had been driven in from the southern river bank at Hartford  - east of the bend near the swimming hole (in fact there used to be signs up warning of dangerous shafts in the bank side. The artifacts consisted of wooden coal shovels - as In all wood and some very primitive coal picks.) I have no doubt that in the depths of the Durham archives (although some are held in America now) there will be even older references of income from mining at Bedlington and surrounds.

|I note your pic of the Dowty prop - I am thinking that in later years these were made by a frim at Backworth?

[pilgrim]

waggon ways -- not sure where my post on this went?? but there is  a waggonway from the above mentioned PLESSEY site -- it starts somewhere beside the old windmill aside what used to be MSD and carries on in the middle of the dual carriageway to the east and thence to Blyth. it is most easily seen between the dual carriageway on the rise up to Laverock hall. this was in use in at least 1709 and was used until at least 1812

There is a bit about local waggonways on this site

http://www.seenewcastle.com/subjects/waggonway/

 

 

Edited November 21, 2017 by pilgrim
confused.com

[pilgrim]

ah - canny lass - its always nice to have friends over the water - brought back to mind a wonderful song by Arrival - we who have friends who have friends by the river - but a great version was done by Kirsty McColl - and if it makes you younger go for it!!!

 

oh and I knew some folk would have an interest in a geological survey - and that doesn't mean they are sad !!!

Edited November 21, 2017 by pilgrim
bits forgot

[Canny lass]

My dear Pilgrim, misunderstand me correctly. I didn't mean to imply that an interest in geological surveys was in anyway sad. I was simply commenting on the size of the document - and, as far as myself is concerned, the depth of previous knowledge required to read it. I did look at the 'pictures' though.

Edited November 22, 2017 by Canny lass

[James]

On ‎11‎/‎21‎/‎2017 at 21:10, pilgrim said:

waggon ways -- not sure where my post on this went?? but there is  a waggonway from the above mentioned PLESSEY site -- it starts somewhere beside the old windmill aside what used to be MSD and carries on in the middle of the dual carriageway to the east and thence to Blyth. it is most easily seen between the dual carriageway on the rise up to Laverock hall. this was in use in at least 1709 and was used until at least 1812

There is a bit about local waggonways on this site

http://www.seenewcastle.com/subjects/waggonway/

 

 

The attached 1860 map shows the Netherton Waggonway that connected Netherton Colliery to the main railway line at Barrington.

One could still walk along the section between Netherton Colliery and the Choppington Road in the 1950’s.

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Like a said in me last post,fact and figures not being accurate.....whilst aam chuffed as hell ti see this pic,[which is new ti me!],THIS is not the Harvey Seam!

The Harvey Seam varied in thickness between  2ft-2" ...high,down to 1ft-10",sometimes a wee bit lower...

When I was transferred ti thi aad pit at Bedltn,in 1965,the only Seams working were the Harvey East,and the High Main.

Being a pit "Foreigner"..[as we were called!],we Choppington lads could only get spare shifts to cover for men idle,so one day we might be in 10feet high Bord and  Pillar workings,up in the High Main,or the next day reet in the Harvey east,cramped doon almost on ya belly!![dinna forget that with wood timber planks supporting the roof,ya height is lost by average 3inches...sum a bit thicker or thinner.[on longwall faces..handfilling-no Dowty props  or  Desford hydraulic face chocks...like those in the pic!]

Getting back ti thi pic,if ye notice the gud height he is working in,[at least 3feet],plus there's a few inches of top coal left up ti keep a gud "ground"..[..meaning a good roof!!],this seam is aboot 42" high......and at the Aad pit,thi only place where Dowties and Desfords,and also "K" bars were used,was on the two new faces ["1";s...and "11"'s],doon the new drift which went doon ti the Denton Low Main,and which teemed coal off so much that the old-fashioned loader-end at the shaft-bottom area,couldn't cope,couldn't load tubs fast enough,so they had ti stop the belts frequently!!

"1"'s face broke the National Productivity Records a few times for a face with props and bars....most faces at big pits were fully mechanised with powered face chocks..[so-called "Waakin' Chocks..."]!

We were achieving five shears a shift,for two shift system,plus usually one or two shears in the night -shift,which was supposed to be the "Prep" shift..i.e. preparing the shearer and the face generally,for a push-button start for the fore-shift coming in.....oddly not Midnight like other pits........but 1-40am start!!![who the hell thowt that one up baffled ivry bugga at thi pit!!]

Them two faces kept the pit profiting till we reached the boundaries,and conditions deteriorated.So by 1968-ish,[just after my first Son was born],I was on the development team..["Composite"...at other pits!],winning new districts oot.

"21"'s  face came first,with powered face chocks,[five-legged manual controlled],then after we installed the A.F.C.[Armoured Face Conveyor...all-steel sections,with flygt chain bars],and the powered chocks..[150 of them!],we put the two shearers on.A.B.[Anderson-Boyes] main shearer,and a B.J.D [British-Jeffrey-Diamond],as a "Sumpa" ["Sumping"],at the tailgate end of the face,which only sheared aboot 20 yards each time,to create a "Stall" for the main shearer  to "Sump" into,allowing the face conveyor to be snaked over and turn the main shearer around for a fast plough-back to the maingate.[before "Bi-Di" ...Bi-Directional" ...shearers came in,the shearer had a plough trailing behind,on the shear cycle.]

When that face went away on coalwork,we then started winning out "11"'s face,again,by arcing out with an A.B.15 coal-cutter,and drilling,firing,and hand-filling onto a rubber conveyor belt.

That was mighty hard work,killing,cos the belt box-end was always at least five yards behind the cutter,and every shovel-ful had to be cast [singly!...nae double-casting!!]...owa the top of the cutter and ti thi other side of the face ti eventually slide onti the belt.....very hard ti desribe so folk will understand.

By 1970-ish,thi pit was scratching aroond for coal,and drove a roadway owa ti thi Bomar pit,ti steal coal what they had left,we caaled it "Thi Bomar Road"....["Burma Road" ,,,,for thi youngin's!!!],noo a think,if me memory serves me reet,that thon roadway was drifted up from the Denton Low Main,ti thi Brass Thill seam....but a stand ti be corrected on that one,cos they did the same thing at Bates,only we drifted up and owa ti Newbiggin pit,under the North Sea,ti steal the coal what they left.

It might have been that one wat was the Brass Thill.

Alan Dickson would be the best one ti help oot there,cos a think he might have worked up there....[aa was imprisoned doon the Three-Quarter hell-hole aal thi time,after the Beaumont Seam closed at Bates.!]

LBJ waakies....AGAIN!!

Hope a haven't bored anybody!

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Thanks ivrybody for the Pics and Maps...great stuff...exciting bed-time reading!

James,aad luv ti think yi are the lad standing next ti me on wa class 2 pic at the Bedltn Village Infant School....nae disrespect if yi are just a youngin',and aam totally wrang mind!!

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

The guy's hat was one of the new plastic composite material hats ....mid-late 60's,new eggshell shaped....weren't thowt of when the Harvey seam was working!!

[James]

The photo was cut out a Dowty Mining Equipment Ltd advertisement brochure I obtained in the late 60's. Their information is obviously incorrect!

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

A kinda fancy,seeing as the white paint is still on aal the props and chocks,cos the fyess was bone dry and stannin' like a palace,in the beginning,that the Coal News[British Coal paper], and The Miner[N.U.M.PAPER],had these pics tekkin' when we broke the production record for the whole country.

The top Chiefs in the Coal Board couldn't believe we were gettin' five shears a shift,they aal came ti see wi daeing it!

Mind,when the shearer was ploughing back,aal the bumpers advanced thier back "k" bars on one back prop,aal the way doon thi face,and as soon as the snakers snaked the conveyor belt owa inti thi new track,aal they had ti dae was put the front props in,and pull the Desford chocks in.

At the head-end of the conveyor,and the first stretch of supports ti be advanced,even the Deputy and Owamen used ti muck in and work like hell ti get the Shearer turned roond and away shearing again.

Ivrybody wanted thi pit ti survive,and aam not being romantic,ask anybody who worked on them faces near thi pit's end of life!!

Rhonda Ritchieson was the Fore-Owaman,and HE  was the driving force behind aal thi pit's success,at thi time.

Another record we broke,on "11" face,was changing the whole face conveyor belt in one Weekend!

Rhonda organised ivrything the previous week,he practically lived on the face,and from breaking the conveyor chain,on the Friday night 12-o midnight,Rail sections were laid the whole length of the face,[150 yards],and as we were lifting the steel 5' conveyor pan sections,and stowing them in the goaf,[which we had previously prepared for in the days leading up to the pan-change,by timbering the goaf up leaving massive areas ti stack the old worn-oot pans up ti the roof!],lads were wheeling a smaa bogie wi five new pans at a time,aal thi way doon the face,and spreading them oot in the new pan-line.

It was a mad race as ti hoo would be the fastest,either us lads stowing the pans in the goaf,or the lads supplying the new ones!!

The whole project went like clockwork,and we had the new conveyor up and running for the Monday fore-shift men coming in ti start shearing.

Rhonda,[Overman],aal the Deputies,Fitters,Electricians ,and faceworkers,pulled thier weight like aa nivvor ivvor saw again on any face at any pit.

Frankie,the fitter went ti South Africa,not lang after thi pit closed,he was at Bates by then,Jimmy wa Electrician,followed me years later ti a Furniture factory at Cramlington,in 1989,Rhonda bought the garage aroond Stakeford,[the "Mobil" garage as it is noo],another smashing fitter had he's two middle fingers taken clean off wi a haulage chain accident,and a canny few of me Marra's from them days are aal deceased.

A wonder if anybody apart from me and Alan Dickson would remember this amazing achievement!

A hope Alan comes on ti confirm aal of this!!

[pilgrim]

 

It should be noted that the search for coal was the starter for modern geology and that coal measures were predicted at locations and at what depth by the fossil trace in higher layers. 

I have a box of glass slides somewhere of mounted  micro fossils from the Northumberland area that were from a long gone family member who was a mining surveyor and date from the late 1800's and later. I will try and scan them in via the microscope and post them but it might take some time. not a lot to see but of possible passing interest.