Old Colliery Row 1897 OS (2).png

Old Colliery Row is named  on the 1897 OS County Series for Northumberland. 

The Old Colliery Row, better known as “The Aad Pit Raa” was built in 1840, 15 years before the Dr Pit was opened. According to Stephen Martin’s book it was built by a farming family, The Swann Brothers to rent to miners who were moving into Bedlington to work on collieries that were opening up in the vicinity. The Colliery Row was initially leased then sold in 1892 to the Bedlington Coal Company. The row was demolished along with Bell’s Place in 1950. Hollymount Square was built on this area immediately after the demolition of the rows.

@James I was looking through Evan Martin's book - The Archive Photographs Series, Bedlingtonshire - and there is this photo of Pit Row. I know you have mentioned you are looking for a photo of Bell's Place. Not a full shot of any of the houses but would that be Bell's Place on the right of this photo :- 

There seems to be an awful lot of gable ends and I can't work out where they could be seen from.

4 hours ago, Canny lass said:

There seems to be an awful lot of gable ends and I can't work out where they could be seen from.

 

1 minute ago, James said:

 

The photo is taken from No 4 Old Colliery Row looking up towards the Black Bull. The gable end behind Mr Hemsted is No 6 Bell’s Place and this can also be seen in the google maps photo looking at the same view about 100 years later.

The section of Bell’s Place that was demolished in the late 1940’s ran parallel and behind Old Colliery Row. To the right of the row were the toilets, and gardens. There was gas lighting and a couple of outside taps - no electricity.

Thanks James. It had me puzzled!

Is the photo a mirror image of reality?