Fatfield, North Biddick Colliery

HER Number:
6955

District:
Sunderland

Site Name:
Fatfield, North Biddick Colliery

Place:
Fatfield

Map Sheet:
NZ35SW

Class:
Industrial

Site Type: Broad:
Coal Mining Site

Site Type: Specific:
Colliery

General Period:
Post Medieval

Specific Period:
C18

Form of Evidence:
Documentary Evidence

Description:
Opened before 1710, closed March 1935. Little Pit was sunk in 1894. Victoria Pit was at NZ 317 543. Owned by Sir George Elliot, Bart, then Lambton Colleries Ltd, then Lambton and Hetton Colleries Ltd. On November 17 1771, North Biddick, Chartershaugh and Low Lambton Colleries filled with water. Over 30 horses drowned, the wagons were swept away and the fire engines destroyed. Whellan reported in 1894 that there were two upcast and three downcast shafts at this colliery. Daily output was 940 tons of coal. 600 workers on the Maudlin seam and 350 on the Hutton seam. An explosion on 28 January 1743 killed 17 miners. Another on 6 December 1773 killed 19.

Easting:
31770

Northing:
54333

Grid Reference:
NZ3177054333

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
Durham Mining Museum www.dmm.org.uk; N. Emery, 1998, Banners of the Durham Coalfield