James

According to one of the "Bedlingtonshire Revisited" booklets, there was a branch of the Bedlington Coop at Netherton Colliery

In the 1980’s Stephen Martin wrote 7 booklets that together formed the “Bedlington Villages History Series” The titles are – Bedlington, Sleekburn, Stakeford & Bomarsund, West Sleekburn, Choppington, Barrington, Netherton. (Perhaps there is also one on Cambois?) Unfortunately I only have 3 of them – Bedlington, Netherton and “Bomarsund & Stakeford” I think it is a good idea to open an album on the Doctor Pit and Rows. There have been lots of photos posted in the history forum over the years and it would great to see them in an album. I have quite a few so as soon as the album is open I will post them.

Probably the building work was not completed until after the 1871 census. Number 49 was bigger than the others because it was the undermanager’s house. In the 1911 census, Thomas Croudace, the Dr Pit undermanager was living there. His son, Charlie Croudace was the colliery manager for many years until 1955 when he was succeeded by George Hetherington. The pay office was built onto the gable end of No 49 where I received my first week’s pay of just over £4 in 1957.The building dates and number of houses of all the rows according to Stephen Martin’s book on Bedlington are as follows- Cross Row. 12 houses built in 1855 to accommodate the shaft sinkers. Shiney Row – 1870, 49 houses. Doctor Terrace – 1874, 49 houses. New South Row – 1886, 24 houses. Telephone Row – 1886, 20 houses. North Terrace - 1906, 50 houses. A total of 204 families.

Bates Colliery behind the offices around the wash plant area taken late 1950's

You can see from this angle that there was quite a large extension to the hall not visible in the first photo.

There were two members of the Weeks’ family that lived in Lairds house. The first was John George Weeks, born 1844 and his son Richard James Weeks, born 1884. Each of them held the position of Agent for the Bedlington Coal Company. (Information obtained from one of Evan Martin’s books and the Durham Mining Museum.) The Bedlington Coal Company transformed Bedlingtonshire and there is no historical reference to the company anywhere that I have seen. The Bedlington Coal Co. Ltd Challenge Cup, a solid silver model of a Bedlington Terrier was donated to the National Bedlington Terrier by Richard Weeks in 1936 and is still the top trophy presented at their annual Championship Show.

Thanks for the information Eggy. It looks like the swimming baths were open for about 47 years; 1926 to 1973. After it closed it was converted to a paddling pool but this didn't last long and now it is a children's play area. The two photos are taken from roughly the same position about 40 years apart.

Bill The structure in the photo is a few meters downstream of the dam I mentioned in my previous post. As HPW states they are what are left of the supporting columns for two huge pipe that carried water from the dam down to the waterworks at Humford, located on what is now the car park. If you walk from the dam down to Humford on the Bedlington side of the river, remains of the pipes and the brick supports can still be seen here and there. According to Stephen Martin’s book on Bedlington, the steam driven pump station was commissioned in 1876 and pumped filtered water to the reservoir behind the Red Lion and operated for 50 years. The (empty) reservoir is still there and can be seen from the back entrance to the Red Lion. Before the waterworks, water in Bedlington was obtained from wells and springs. As we know, after the waterworks closed in about 1925 they were changed into an open air swimming pool (Humford Baths) so the pipes from the dam then supplied water to the baths until they closed. Anyone know when the baths were officially opened and when they closed for the last time? The photo of the waterworks was taken over one hundred years ago.

Hi Bill I know the walk you describe in your post (did it last year) but didn’t see the structure you mention. I have attached a plan with the Hartford Woods shown in green. The footpath leads through these woods. As you say, to get there, you have to walk over the stepping stones at Humford Mill to the Hartford side of the river, turn right over the wooden footbridge that crosses the Horton Burn and into Hartford woods and follow the (difficult) footpath that leads to Hartford Bridge. Can you give a rough idea of the location of the structure you saw on your walk? There are two distinctive features on the walk; first the huge concrete culvert that was built to drain water from Brentford Nylons and the other is the dam that used to supply water to the swimming baths. Is it near any of these two points or at the end of the walk, i.e. the field that leads to Hartford Bridge (opposite Hartford Hall)? Any other pointers would help, e.g. at the top perimeter of the woods along the fields, or near the river. Another possibility is that when you state at the “top of the bank”, perhaps you followed the footpath through Horton Dene which is a fairly steep walk along the burn towards Hartford Colliery (East Hartford)

The attached document is taken from Stephan Martin’s book ‘Bedlington”. He seems to be referring to the same football field as you are but he states it was at Millfield. This would make sense as it would have been an ideal spot for a pitch. Regarding your question about any building work around Hollymount that could of taken place in the 1920’s, there is a map in an earlier post, showing an open area behind Hollymount Hall. This is where the words Holly Mount are printed on the map. Haig Road, Beatty Road and Cornwall Crescent were built there after WW1 and it is possible that a football field could have been here. This is next to the Bedlington Terriers’ pitch

Reedy – This is a photo of the Anderson Boyes Arc Shearer coal cutter you mention in your post. They were used at the Doctor Pit Drift from about 1948 to 1960, in bord and pillar sections mining the 6 foot thick Main Coal seam. The district was called the ‘West Winnings” and was under what is now the golf course. It was decided that it would be cheaper to mine the Main Coal seam by opencast mining, so in 1960 the “drift” was closed.