Browney Colliery

Overview

A colliery at Browney, two and a half miles south-west of Durham, opened by Bell Brothers in 1871, whose owners built the village school and a library of more than 1,000 books; it raised 900 tons a day from thin seams and closed in July 1938 under Dorman, Long.

History

Browney Colliery was opened in 1871 by Bell Brothers Ltd at Browney, beside Meadowfield and two and a half miles south-west of Durham. It worked through three pits, and the sinking of the No. 3 Pit passed through 620 feet of strata. In the 1890s the Brockwell, Busty and Hutton seams were worked as separate pits.

The colliery employed 326 in 1883, 631 in 1894 and 938 in 1910. Dorman, Long & Co. Ltd took it over in April 1923. In its later years it raised 900 tons a day from the Low Main, Busty and Harvey seams, the last two only 1 ft 9 in thick; the whole of its small coal went to Dean and Chapter Colliery for washing, and 2,000 gallons of water a minute were pumped from a depth of 404 feet.

Browney grew up as a colliery village. The owners built Browney British School in 1881 for 407 children, held the ground of the 1887 Wesleyan chapel at a rent of a shilling a year, and provided a reading room and a library of more than 1,000 books.

The museum's list of those killed holds 41 names, many of them hewers killed by falls of stone. The colliery closed in July 1938; the abandonment plans for its Low Main, Harvey and Busty workings are dated 1938, and plans also survive of the combined Page Bank and Browney workings.

Geology

Durham coalfield: the Brockwell, Busty and Hutton, worked as separate pits in the 1890s, and later the Low Main, Busty and Harvey, the last two only 1 ft 9 in thick. The workings were wet: 2,000 gallons a minute were pumped from 404 feet.

Workings

Nos 1, 2 and 3 pits, with a coke yard; small coal was sent to Dean and Chapter Colliery for washing.

Closure

Closed in July 1938 under Dorman, Long & Co. Ltd.

What remains

Unknown.

Redevelopment

Unknown.

Related mines

• Dean and Chapter Colliery — Browney's small coal was all sent to Dean and Chapter Colliery for washing.
• Page Bank Colliery — Both were Bell Brothers pits, and abandonment plans record combined Page Bank and Browney workings in the Brockwell and Busty.

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• Opened in 1871 by Bell Brothers Ltd. ¹
• Dorman, Long & Co. Ltd took the colliery over in April 1923. ¹
• The colliery owners built Browney British School in 1881 and provided a reading room and library of over 1,000 books. ^1,2
• Raised 900 tons a day from the Low Main, Busty and Harvey; its small coal was washed at Dean and Chapter Colliery. ¹
• The No. 3 Pit sinking passed through 620 ft of strata. ³
• Closed in July 1938. ^1,2,4
• Plans survive of combined Page Bank and Browney workings in the Brockwell and Busty. ⁵

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Browney Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Wikipedia: Browney — Wikipedia
3. (primary) Durham Mining Museum: Browney Colliery shaft details — Durham Mining Museum
4. (primary) BGS / Mining Remediation Authority mine plan: Browney, Low Main seam, abandoned 1938 — British Geological Survey
5. (primary) BGS / Mining Remediation Authority mine plan: Pagebank and Browney, Brockwell/Busty seams — British Geological Survey

Record created: 6 October 2026 · Last researched: 6 October 2026