Littleburn Colliery arch collapse, 1913

On the evening of 28 March 1913 a newly built brick arch collapsed on the men taking out its centring at Littleburn Colliery, near Durham, killing two bricklayers.

Cause

The arch centres were struck before both sides of the arch had been properly haunched; the weak, unhaunched side gave way as the supporting timber was drawn.

What happened

A semi-circular brick arch, 14 feet 6 inches long, of four rings of brick on edge, had been turned between piers 7 feet high. The centres were put in on 25 March and the work carried on over the 25th and 26th; the centres were struck at 2.30 p.m. on the 28th. About ten minutes later, as John Batty (35) and David Willie Hodgson (31), both bricklayers and both married, were under the arch getting out the centring timbers, the arch collapsed and killed them; a third man was gravely injured. There was haunching on one side but not the other, and it was at that weak side the arch gave way. The Times reported the collapse the next morning.

Sources

1. (primary) Collapse of a Colliery Arch, Littleburn, 28 March 1913 (The Times, 29 March 1913) — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Littleburn Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 4 September 2026 · Last researched: 22 September 2026