Durham Mining Museum - Hawthorn Combined Mine (original) (raw)

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Location:	nr. Murton7½ miles [12 km] S of Sunderland
Map Ref:	(Sheet 88) NZ390458, 54° 48' 20" N, 1° 23' 36" W
Maps:	1950s map detailed map from the Ordnance Survey
Opened:	02 Jan 1960
Closed:	1992
Owners:	1960 - National Coal Board (N.C.B.)
1986 - British Coal (name change)
Employment:	Year Pit Total Below Above 196522245177 19701444698 197514947102 19801304684 198129948251 198230147254 198330147254
NCB Employment Figures
Notes:	19191 - first sod cut for new shaft

Description

Personal recollections:

Hawthorn combined mine was started in 1953, and first drew coal in September 1959, although the complementary coke works started production a little earlier. When Hawthorn Coke works came on-line, Shotton Coke works was closed and most of the workforce transferred to Hawthorn.

Hawthorn Shaft was 26 feet in diameter and was 1,500 feet deep. The whole of this part of the Durham Coalfield is overlaid with a layer of sand varying from 6 feet to 200 feet in thickness with magnesium limestone on top of this. The shaft had been sunk through this difficult water bearing strata by freezing the ground immediately below and to the sides of the sinking level.

Coal was drawn from 2 levels, from 1,500 feet by a 1,500 Horse power electric winder (North Winder), and from 1,200 feet by a 1,200 Horse power electric winder (South Winder). Each winder was equipped with two 9 ton Skips. Each winder was capable of drawing 38 skips / hour.

This shaft holds the European record (and possibly the world record) for production in a day from one shaft. (in 1970's, about 12,000 tons!!.).

Speed control of the Winders was by the Ward Leonard system using a closed loop speed control system. The winding operations could work automatically linked with the underground filling and surface discharge of the skips. I was a young electrician at this time and I made the automatic system work! I later joined the winder manufacturers as an engineer.

All of Eppleton's production was drawn from the "Bottom level", all of Elemore's production was drawn from the "Top level", Murton's production was approximately 50% a from each level. The coal drawing was designed to commence at 6 a.m. and finish at 10 p.m. each day, with maintenance taking place between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

There was also a sump below the 1,500 foot level which was used to remove any coals which had been spilt into the shaft, this coal was filled into mine cars by Murton miners and then taken to the 1,500 foot level in order to be taken to the surface.

South Hetton's production was brought by loco's and put into the washery via a track hopper.

Whilst the underground skip loading mechanism at the "bottom" level was being commissioned in September 1959, a young man who was the deputy mechanical engineer of Hawthorn Mine lost his life when a compressed air powered guide plate (sliding plate) moved whilst he was investigating a problem.

There was an incident in the shaft about 1961 when a full skip became detached from the ascending rope of the "top level" winder about 100 feet into the wind, this skip then fell to the top level located by guides, smashed through the "dabbing baulks" at the top level and then fell another 300 feet without guides, past the bottom level without damaging any of the bottom level equipment, of course the sump was completely demolished. Fortunately no one was hurt in the incident.

The skips had been attached to the rope by a comparatively new method, utilising a screw thread to pull tapers together in order to secure the rope. After this incident the traditional method of attaching the ropes to the skips was re-instated using white metal poured into the tapered socket of the rope attachments!!!.

Elemore Colliery closed in February 1974, Eppleton closed in March 1986 (although it's coal was worked from Murton). Hawthorn Coke Works closed about 1985, Murton and Hawthorn closed in November 1991.

The original 1833 railway ran from Haswell to Seaham docks, the owner of the South Hetton Coal Company at that time (Colonel Bradyll) had reached an agreement with the Marquis of Londonderry to ship coals from Haswell and South Hetton Collieries at the proposed port of Seaham which probably "tipped the balance" on the economics of building the new port.

The railway was worked by N.C.B locomotives, from the "East Entrance" to Hesledon Bank top (at Cold Hesledon) and then by a self- acting incline to Swine Lodge in Seaham and from there to the Staithes by another self - acting incline. The coal could also join the British Rail line at Swine Lodge. These facilities were in use until the miner's strike in 1985, during the strike the neighbouring populace dug out the embankment to Swine lodge (which was made from small coal), after the strike the line had to be abandoned.

The steam locomotives in use at Hawthorn were equipped with small steam driven 12 volt generators to enable the use of radios and for lighting on the locomotives. There were also Diesel engines in use. The locos were co-ordinated by a traffic control office at the West Entrance.

British railways also took coal direct from the colliery "North Entrance" via South Hetton and Ryhope and also from the "West Entrance" via Haswell and Shotton.

Prior to the construction of Hawthorn, coals from Murton and South Hetton Collieries had been "washed" (cleaned) by a Washery at Wembley (near the East Moors Estate in Murton) and then transported via the links described above.

Prior to the construction of Hawthorn, Eppleton (in Hetton le Hole) and Elemore Collieries (in Easington Lane) had their individual washeries, their coals had been transported to Sunderland by the historic 1822 Railway between Hetton and Sunderland which had been engineered by George Stephenson and built with the aid of George's brother Robert.

There were great savings to be made by the closures of these individual washeries and the Hetton Railway, also the remaining coal reserves in the 4 Collieries were in comparatively thin seams and contained increased levels of stone and shale necessitating better coal washing facilities.

Considerable sums of money were spent in order to construct underground roadways linking the 3 collieries and equipping them with locomotives, battery powered in the case of Eppleton and Murton and Diesel in the case of Elemore. All these locomotives hauled trains of 24, 2 ton mine cars. There was also a very sophisticated signalling system.

The Gauge of the underground haulage system was standardised at 2 feet, prior to this Eppleton and Elemore had used a 2 feet 3 inch gauge, this gauge change was carried out with considerable difficulty and expense without stopping production. Extensive mechanism of the "coal winning machinery" at the collieries was also undertaken. at this time.

The primary washery at Hawthorn was a "dense media" washery, sand and water were pumped together into a vessel (cone), in such a way that coal would float in and over this mixture (media) whilst stone, which is heavier, sinks through the media and was removed from the bottom of the cone. The mixture of coal and stone which had come from the shaft was introduced at the top of the cone and the whole contents agitated together

The secondary washer (used for small pieces of material) used a froth floatation process in which a froth created by an oil and water mixture also allowed coal to float over it whilst stone sank.

The Hawthorn combine mine was an idea conceived by the National Coal Board shortly after nationalisation. The plan involved the sinking of a new shaft at Hawthorn which would draw the coals produced from Murton, Eppleton and Elemore collieries.

Extracts taken from The Collieries of Durham, Volume 1

Disasters (5 or more killed)

None found.

Names of those killed at this colliery

Please note that this collection of names is by no means complete!

In Memoriam

| | | | | | | Naylor, Ralph C., 07 Jan 1960, aged 20, Washery Attendant, employed by N.C.B. on plant erected by General Electric Company when he was struck by electric magnet and its bogey and sustained severe injuries from which he died, Buried: Easington Lane Cemetery | | ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | | | Smith, Philip, Sep 1975, aged 20, Apprentice Electrician, he was electrocuted, as the power was turned back on whilst he was working | | | | | | | | Tempest, Brian, 13 Mar 1990, aged 46, Winder Man, killed in a crush accident on the surface of the of the pit | | | | | | | | | | 3 names found | | | | | |

If you know of any fatalities missing from the above list then please contact us with the details and we will add them to our database.

Those names marked with , have a web page providing individual details of the accident, the page may also include a photograph of the deceased. Click on the symbol next to the name to see the web page.

Collieries and Pits within 5 miles (8km)

a simulated map showing the immediate vicinity of Hawthorn Combined Mine

list of collieries/pits etc. near to Hawthorn Combined Mine

Gallery Images:

!["Fulls" cars arriving at Hawthorn pit bottom](http://www.dmm.org.uk/colleng/t/l-00571-03-0065-f01t.jpg ""Fulls" cars arriving at Hawthorn pit bottom")

Credits

Sources:

1959 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1960 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1965 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1970 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1975 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1980 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1981 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1982 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
1983 Guide to the Coalfields published by the Colliery Guardian
Banners of the Durham Coalfield, Norman Emery, 1998, Sutton Publishing Ltd., ISBN 0-7509-1708-3
Coalminers of Durham, Norman Emery, 1992, Alan Sutton Publishing Ltd., ISBN 0-7509-0710-X
Collieries of Durham (Volume 1), David Temple, 1994, TUPS Ltd., ISBN 1-871518-11-3
Contributions by members of the Public
Headstone(s) in Easington Lane Cemetery
History, Topography, and Directory of the County Palatine of Durham by Francis Whellan. Second edition published in 1894.

Pictures:

Further Research:

Research Notes for Hawthorn Combined Mine