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Friday 25 September 2020

Houghall Colliery

Capped pit shaft of Houghall Colliery - there are several interpretation boards around
Houghall is a mile or so south of Durham City, and is now known for its agricultural college.   As far as I know, Houghall Colliery was sunk in early Victorian times & had a short working life.
The shaft in the photo is that nearer the waggonway running west-east on this map.
The River Wear on the right was bridged to get to Shincliffe & beyond
(OS 1892 map segment courtesy of National Library of Scotland)
The eastern abutment of the waggonway bridge over the Wear in 2008
John Street, Houghall - only the front steps remain in a wooded wasteland
There is a row of much later housing extant to the west, but I think these serviced the agriculture estate rather than the colliery.   The waggonway, which is now a footpath, continued west on an embankment & through a tunnel to another pit.   Very little information seems to be available about the colliery - anyone know more?
Posted by Derek at 10:19 pm
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1 comment:

Michael Denholm said...

Very interesting local history/industrial archaeology item. There must be many, many more forgotten 'pit village' / local colliery and - (importantly) waggonway remains to be discovered in what was one the Great Northern Coalfield.

26 September 2020 at 21:36

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