A preliminary attempt at drafting a summary of the history of coal mining in Throckley. The problem as always, what to leave out?

Throckley – coal mining
 
Primary source for this summary is:
Morrison, Jennifer (2007) Newburn Manor: an analysis of a changing medieval, post-medieval and early modern landscape in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Masters Thesis, Durham University.

• Documentary references to coal mining in the Throckley area date back to the C14th (medieval period). Seams close to the surface could be exploited by drifts dug into the valley sides or by digging of 'bell pits' or 'day holes' (shallow vertical shafts).
• In  1536, coal workings passed to the King, who then leased them to individuals. The Newburn mines passed to the Lord of the Manor, the Earl of Northumberland, and the mines at Throckley passed from the Crown to the Radcliffe family in the early C15th.
• Radcliffe estates (Earl of Derwentwater) confiscated by the Crown and passed to Greenwich Hospital in 1735.
• The tiny village of Lemington had been established at the staiths some time before 1620 when a few coal pits were being worked. ‘Sea-coal’ was transported from the staiths to colliers via the River Tyne.
• George Stephenson’s father left Wylam to become fireman at Dewley Colliery. George’ first job  (age of 8), was for Grace Ainslie, farmer at Dewley Farm, guarding the cows which grazed the wagonways. He went on to become assistant fireman at the colliery before moving to Newburn.
• The boundary between Newburn and Throckley was not fixed until the C17th. Remaining woodland in the area was felled for use in wagonways, pit props, staiths, wagons, keels etc.
  
• Wagonways brought coal from Wylam & Throckley to Lemington Staiths from 1748. In the early 1800s, wooden horse-drawn wagonways were being replaced by new technology: metal rails, stream locomotives replacing horses (e.g. Puffing Billy & Wylam Dilly on the Wylam Wagonway).
• By 1781 the main coal pits in Throckley had gone out of use and several former wagonways became  paths.
• William Brown, colliery viewer, was brought up in Throckley. He had been appointed manager of Throckley Colliery by the lessee, Mr Bell, in 1756. Having erected a steam engine at Throckley, Brown went on to build engines at over twenty-one other collieries. In 1765 a new winning at Throckley was completed, and because steam-driven pumps helped solve the problem of pit drainage, shafts could be sunk to a greater depth.
• In 1785, there was a list of 52 pits at Throckley, connected by wagonways to Lemington staiths, all worked by Bell and Brown. This colliery was worked out by 1794.
• Messrs. Bell and Brown built the row of houses on the Hexham Road in 1796 that were to become known as Frenchmen's Row.
• By 1858, the OS map shows several coal pits, most at the edges or corners of fields surrounded by small copses of trees. Some are out of use. The most extensive colliery workings were located at Throckley Colliery (Meadow Pit), which was served by a wagonway. To the east of this lay Throckley Brick and Tile Works.
• At Throckley C19th mining involved the continuation of working of some of the pits which had been sunk in the C18th (such as Meadow, Maria, Rye, Nymph and Thristle) but most of these were out of use by 1895.
• The Throckley Coal Company was formed in 1862 and Throckley Colliery opened in 1867. Maria Pit, which had been in existence in 1767 was expanded during the 1800s and was in operation until 1954. Isabella Colliery was in operation from 1869 to 1954.
• In 1867, Throckley Coal Co. brought the extensive Isabella Coke Ovens complex into production, mainly for use at Spencer's steelworks. Twenty-two coke ovens was built using Stephenson's bricks, close to the Isabella Pit. Other coal-dependant industries of the period included brick and tile making.
• Throughout the nineteenth century industrialisation continued. In 1875, the route of the Wylam Wagonway became a branch of the North Eastern Railway. The old Throckley Wagonway was re-used for a mineral railway which served the colliery and brick-works.
• Margaret Pit, in Heddon, was sold  to the Throckley Coal Co. in 1902. This allowed them improved control over water ingress in the Throckley pits. In 1906, Throckley merged with the brickmakers, Wm Stephenson & Sons and sank a third mine, the Maria. They continued to work Heddon Colliery until the early 1930's, when it was closed, and the remaining coal reserves accessed from Throckley Isabella.
• The Stephensons and Throckley Coal Company provided their employees with many facilities including chapels, school, houses & institute.
• Coal production ceased at Throckley Colliery in January 1954 and land was reclaimed. Opencast mining in 1991 destroyed the remains of the water mill, a section of the C18th wagonway, and several old pits. A69 (by-pass) built.

Tyne & Wear Sitelines HER No: 1316
Throckley village

General Period: Medieval
Specific Period: C12
Site Type: Shrunken Village

The first reference is 1161 when the dreng (a pre-Conquest term) of Throckley paid 3 marks to the exchequer. A member of the Saxon burgh and later medieval manor, of Newburn. Six taxpayers were recorded in 1296, 8 in 1312. Throckley passed to the Radcliffes in the early 15th century, then to Greenwich Hospital, which in 1777 bought the freeholds scattered in the ancient enclosures of the township. The village originally lay south of the Roman Wall and Hexham Road, on an east-west axis. It appears to have been a 2-row green village, reached from the north by the modern Hill House Road. Its plan shows clearly on a map of 1781, and it still looked fairly substantial in 1847, but on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey plan the only surviving dwellings were 2 cottages in the north row.

Tyne & Wear Sitelines HER No: 3951
Drove Road

General Period: Post Medieval
Specific Period: C18
Site Type: Drove Road

Drove Road, Throckley appears on a 1769 ‘Plan of Enclosure Lands’ (Northumberland Record Office), and the name is marked on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey plan as if it was the name of the road rather than its function. The present Drove Road is still a broad road and may be a medieval or earlier route for leading livestock to and from Throckley Fell, an area now north of the A69. A Roman surface was recorded in excavations in 2002 on Hexham Road in advance of installing renewed water mains. This raises the possibility that Drove Road may be of even greater age, perhaps originally representing a track leading through the milecastle.

Tyne & Wear Sitelines HER No: 1315

NZ1567
General Period: Medieval
Specific Period:
Site Type: Common Land

At the beginning of the 15th century Throckley passed by marriage to the Radcliffes of Dilston and Derwentwater, who therefore became lords of the manor, and from them it went to Greenwich Hospital. There survives a record of late 18th century/early 19th century trespasses and encroachments on the Fell - the running of cattle, sheep and horses without entitlement, and the taking of turf and stones. The act for the enclosure of the Fell was passed in 1816, and the award made in 1830. Some of the Fell has been opencasted. The site of Throckley Fell was mostly north of the Throckley bypass (A 69), and slightly more than half was within the modern boundary of Northumberland.

The Glacial Phenomena of the Country between the Tyne and the Wansbeck. By J. A. Smythe. Transactions of the Natural History Society of Northumberland, Durham & Newcastle upon Tyne, vol. 3 (1908-1911).

Aerial photographs of the monument indicate that the barrow is surrounded by a number of cropmarks. These include a circular cropmark, interpreted as a bank and ditch immediately surrounding the barrow, a hut circle and a further enclosing feature, believed to be a boundary bank and ditch enclosing the raised ground around the barrow. Further circular cropmarks, interpreted as hut circles, are evident in the north west corner of the field. These surrounding features are also included in the scheduling.

Whether Bronze Age burial mound or natural glacial feature (a kaim), Dewley Hill is a Scheduled Monument (List Entry Number: 1018678) and protected by law.

Although now safe from the prospects of nearby open-cast coal mining (mainly the result of a local campaign), the Dewley Hill Scheduled Monument was added to Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register (list entry: 27470) with the following assessment:

Assessment InformationAssessment
Type: Archaeology
Condition: Extensive significant problems
Principal Vunerability: Animal burrowing - extensive
Trend: Declining
Ownership: Private

An interactive map of Throckley as an aid to exploring records from the Tyne & Wear Historic Environment Record online as Sitelines.

There is also a summary of the history of Throckley here
https://sitelines.newcastle.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Throckley.pdf

To get a copy of the interactive map, download the zip file (below) and extract the single html file within the compressed folder.

1. Locate the zipped folder that you want to unzip (extract files or folders) from.
2. Do one of the following:
   • To unzip a single file or folder, open the zipped folder, then drag the file or folder from the zipped folder to a new location.
   • To unzip all the contents of the zipped folder, press and hold (or right-click) the folder, select Extract All..., and then follow the instructions.

The extracted html file should open in your default internet browser.

Using the map you can change the background mapping (menu top right), search for markers by colour or text (menu top-left). Click on markers for pop-up information and links.

Triangle symbols (in black) refer to coal mining sites (pit shafts, collieries) and waggonways. Circle symbols are colour-coded depending on their historical period:
prehistoric - red
Roman - pink
Medieval - green
Post-medieval C17/C18 - yellow
Post-medieval C19/C20 - blue

Information on the reclamation of former industrial land between Throckley & Newburn in the creation of Tyne Riverside Country Park.

Hesselberth A & Hobson D (2003). Land reclamation in the North East: the last 30 years.
Chapter 4 (p. 81-89) in: H.M. Moore, H.R. Fox, S. Elliott, Land Reclamation - Extending Boundaries: Proceedings of the 7th International Conference, Runcorn, UK, 13-16 May 2003.

ABSTRACT: The North East of England has a long and glorious industrial heritage. This has led to a legacy of derelict land, but also to opportunities for reuse and regeneration. Government priorities and means of funding have changed over the last 30 years. The paper examines how land reclamation has progressed from the 1960s to the present time. It also looks at what has happened to land reclaimed during the earlier times and draws conclusions about the lessons that can be learned.

4 Case Studies

4.1 Isabella colliery
An area of approximately 50 ha of land on the North bank of the River Tyne between Newburn and Throckley lay derelict for many years following the cessation of mining and the closure of a railway line. The site contained a number of interesting features including a scrap yard, railway track bed, waste heaps, lagoons, shafts from which mine water continuously discharged, and an area used by the water company for the disposal of liquid sludge from its settlement beds at a nearby treatment works, Natural drainage of the area had been disrupted by mining subsidence and flooding of the surrounding fields occurred during winter periods. The mine water was badly discoloured with yellow ochre and this was discharged via approximately 1.5km of open water course into the River Tyne. The site was not considered to be contaminated and therefore was not subject to chemical testing.

The site was reclaimed to create what is now known as the Tyne Riverside Park at Newburn. It was financed through l00% Derelict Land Grant. additional funding from the County Council and a small contribution from the Sports Council.

For a period of about three years prior to reclamation, surplus soils were brought onto the site from various sources. These were mainly from private developments being undertaken in the region and soils primarily comprised subsoils and clays. In most cases a small charge was made for accepting the materials and this provided additional funds for the project. These operations were not considered as waste disposal and therefore were not licensed under the Control of Pollution Act 1974.

The scheme involved the creation of a new land-form by regrading and covering over with the imported soils to form a growing medium. The scrapyard was cleared and visually dirty materials were removed off site for disposal in landfill. Mine shafts were capped but not filled and the drainage of the area improved as tar as possible by cleaning out channels and the installation of a flap valve upstream of the mine water discharge in order to prevent back flow into the areas worst affected by flooding.

The most challenging part of the scheme was the treatment of the area used for disposal of water company sludge. This had collected in a depression to a depth of about 3m and was of a consistency similar to jelly paint. Dewatering of this material was achieved by spreading it in thin layers and allowing it to freeze during the winter. The material was also found to. be useful as a soil enhancer although. because of the high moisture content it was extremely difficult to handle. Provision for future disposals of sludge was provided in cooperation with the Newcastle and Gateshead Water Company. The water company agreed to spray future discharges of sludge in order to spread it in a very thin layer that would be capable of drying over the winter. A large grassed area was therefore created under which a layer of gravel and system of pipes were installed. This would not have been feasible without a ready source of a large quantity of gravel. This was obtained by the excavation of a large slope into the bank of the River Tyne which comprised excellent quality river gravel. This operation was considered eligible for Derelict Land Grant because it was essential to the restoration of the site. The excavated area conveniently produced a slipway which was concreted over and this is still the largest access into the river for recreational purposes today.

The whole site was landscaped creating areas of grass and woodland with about 30% being returned to grazing land and the remainder being made available as a country park. The scheme was awarded first prize in the RICS/Times Conservation Awards RICS (1982). It is now a well used and mature country park.

Although known as the Walbottle Hoard, this cache of over 5000 Roman coins of the third century was found by Hadrian's Wall in Throckley, close to the now-disused water filter beds.

A cache of over 5000 Roman coins, known as the Walbottle hoard, was found in 1879 during the construction of the Newcastle and Gateshead Water Company's filter beds (HER ref. 4236). It seems likely that the hoard may have been concealed in the Wall ditch near the site of Milecastle No. 11, at Throckley Bank Top. The coins were mostly of the decade AD 260-70. The hoard was dispersed in small lots by the finder, an Irish labourer, but subsequently some eight hundred or more were acquired by the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle
Tyne and Wear HER(1241): Throckley, The Walbottle Hoard

An aqueduct was built from Whelton reservoir in Whittle Dean to Throckley Filter Beds in 1869. The water treatment works with extensive filter beds were completed in 1875 for the Newcastle and Gateshead Water Company. This involved extensive terracing and excavation of the area of the treatment plant, during the course of which the 'Walbottle Hoard' (SMR 1421) was found.
Tyne and Wear HER(4236): Throckley, The Walbottle Hoard

The discovery was made by an Irish labourer employed in digging for the purpose of laying water-pipes in the bed of the road. He met with the vase at a depth of four feet beneath the surface of the road, and in close proximity to the southern face of the Wall of Hadrian, and at a spot where three or four courses of stones of that wall remain in situ buried in the road.

The vessel in which the.coins were contained is represented in the engraving on the previous page; it is of dark-coloured earthenware, and measures in height one foot two inches, and in girth or circumference at the widest part thirty-six inches.

5,028 coins were catalogued by Robert Blair and many were illustrated. They appear to be mainly small bronze coins  of low denomination (antoniniani), with a few silvered-bronze (known as 'billon').

The workman sold a small number of coins privately but John Clayton managed to purchase the pot and most of those remaining. A few are now displayed in the Clayton Collection in Chesters museum. A small number of coins from the hoard were later acquired by the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle Upon Tyne (SANT) (see table below).

Another paper was published about the hoard in 1931 justified by increased understanding of Roman coinage being able to add considerable information about the dates and places of minting of the coins: Hedley, W. Percy (1931). The Walbottle (Throckley) hoard of Roman Coins. Archaeologia Aeliana Series 4. Vol 8, pp. 12-48.

The paper estimated the value of the hoard at the time of its being buried or lost to be only about £13. This would represent the pay of a common soldier for about two and a half years, or one and a half years if it had belonged to a centurion.

The paper explains that in AD 270-272 there were disturbances on the frontier that could account for the concealment of the hoard.

McIntosh, Guest & Ponting (2018). ‘The Walbottle Hoard of 1879: re-examination and reassessment’, Archaeologia Aeliana 5th series, vol. 46, 41-75.

SUMMARY
This article reappraises the Walbottle (Throckley) hoard of late-third century Roman coins. The hoard’s complicated biography since its discovery in 1879 is described, followed by a summary of the re-identified coins and a discussion of the hoard’s dating. The results of a ground-breaking metallurgical study of a sample of the Walbottle coins are also presented, emphasising the on-going value of antiquarian finds when subjected to careful re-evaluation and analysis.

Peter Guest has recently published papers reexamining the basis for Roman coin hoards:

Guest, P (2015) 'The Burial, Loss and Recovery of Roman Coin Hoards in Britain and Beyond: past, present and future' pages 101-116 in J. Naylor and R. Bland (eds) 'Hoarding and the Deposition of Metalwork from the Bronze Age to the 20th Century: a British Perspective.' Oxford: Archaeopress.

Guest P. (2018) ‘The Walbottle Hoard of 1879: re-examination and reassessment’, Archaeologia Aeliana 5th series, vol. 46, 41-75 (with F. McIntosh and M. Ponting).

He concludes that the two previous papers about the Walbottle hoard reflect modern attitudes towards the Roman past rather than proven archaeological reality, and the continued failure to accurately date when hoards were buried and lost remains a significant problem:

"imagined ‘events’ that led to its owner hiding the jar and coins in the ground, both authors believed, firstly that the 5,000 coins had been buried because of an imminent threat to the owner and presumably his property, secondly that it was the intention of the owner to return at some point in the future to recover his buried wealth, and finally that he had been unable to do so because of some unforeseen incident."

Why the hoard was buried and not recovered is likely to remain a mystery for the foreseeable future.

Historic England Picture Collection Reference: DP058664
Date: 17 Apr 2008
Location: Chesters Roman Fort, Museum, Humshaugh, Chesters, Northumberland