MH Opencast

I am aware of three opencast schemes at Marley Hill.  The first scheme was small & underway when we first came to site around 1970.   It led to filling of the valley to Bowes Bridge between the railway & Marley Hill Colliery.   The second was a scheme of the early 1990s.   The photos below are from this period, when we supported the proposal of a tourist railway into the workings.

Eric receiving a token of our mutual working from John Stephenson in front of more tangible assistance -  a mile of track to facilitate our Causey extension
(photo courtesy of Colin Waite)

John Stephenson with another gift in 1991 - Progress - for which the paper trail did not follow
(photo courtesy of Colin Waite)

John Stephenson worked effectively with us, boosting Tanfield Railway at a critical developmental time.   In this large opencast scheme, Marley Hill shed was threatened with demolition along with relocation & clearance of the site.   The scheme foundered, but in its wake the Tanfield Railway Trust was reestablished as a charitable company & gained ownership of the shed & site.

The third, more recent, opencast scheme for the Marley Hill area was of an intermediate size & ran alongside the railway.   The scheme was rejected at the planning stage, but led to the Tanfield Railway Trust acquiring ownership of the oldest part of our route between Marley Hill & Sunniside.