MineArchiveCrystallwell Colliery
| Also known as | Crystal Well Drift |
|---|---|
| Location | Coanwood, near Haltwhistle, Northumberland — 54.9288, -2.4736 (approximate) |
| Commodity | Coal |
| Type | Coal |
| Worked | By 1915–April 1947 |
| Maximum depth | Unknown. |
| Operators | Burnhouse Coal Co. (1910–1919), George Kennedy (1920–1929), John Ridley (1940–1947) |
Overview
A small drift colliery at Coanwood near Haltwhistle, linked by an inclined plane to Coanwood Colliery, worked by the Burnhouse Coal Company in the 1910s and by a handful of men until April 1947.
History
Crystallwell, or Crystal Well, Colliery lay at Coanwood in the South Tyne valley near Haltwhistle, about eight miles north-north-west of Alston, a little north-east of Coanwood Colliery, to which it was linked by an inclined-plane tramway.
The Burnhouse Coal Company worked it in the 1910s as a drift, with 22 men in 1915 under the manager W. Herdman, raising household coal from the Two Foot seam. George Kennedy had it in the 1920s, working the Three Quarter and the Coomb Roof with a dwindling handful of men, down to one or two by 1924-25.
John Ridley reopened it in the 1940s with five men. The Wellsyke seam was abandoned in 1945, the Low seam in September 1946, and the Seven Quarter of the No. 2 drift in April 1947; the last plans, of the Low Main and Slag, are dated 12 April 1947.
Geology
The Two Foot, Three Quarter, Coomb Roof, Wellsyke, Low and Seven Quarter (Slag) seams.
Workings
Drifts, including a No. 2 drift in the Seven Quarter; an inclined-plane tramway connected it to Coanwood Colliery.
Closure
The Wellsyke was abandoned in 1945, the Low in September 1946 and the Seven Quarter in April 1947.
What remains
Unknown.
Redevelopment
Unknown.
Related mines
- Coanwood Colliery — Connected by an inclined-plane tramway (Keys to the Past N5962).
Nearby mines
- East Coanwood Colliery — 0.2 miles (0.4 km) SE
- Coanwood Colliery — 1.0 miles (1.6 km) W
- Lambley Colliery — 2.1 miles (3.4 km) W
- Plenmeller Colliery — 2.8 miles (4.5 km) E
- Blackett Colliery — 3.1 miles (5.0 km) NE
Straight-line distance, within 9 miles (15 km). Show on the map.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- Coanwood Colliery was connected to Crystallwell Colliery by an inclined-plane tramway. 1
- Employed 22 people in 1915. 2
- W. Herdman was manager in 1915 and 1921. 3
- The Wellsyke, Little and Yard workings were abandoned on 14 August 1946. 4
- The No. 2 drift's Seven Quarter seam was abandoned in April 1947. 2,5,6
Photographs & further reading
Sources
- (secondary) Coanwood Colliery, Coanwood (HER N5962) — Keys to the Past (Durham and Northumberland HER)
- (primary) Crystal Well Drift — Durham Mining Museum
- (primary) Crystal Well Drift: Colliery Management (prior to 1970) — Durham Mining Museum
- (primary) Crystal Well Mine Plans (Mining Remediation Authority plan 14108, Wellsyke, Little and Yard, abandoned 14 August 1946) — British Geological Survey / Mining Remediation Authority
- (primary) Catalogue of Plans of Abandoned Mines: Crystal Well Drift — Durham Mining Museum
- (primary) Crystal Well Mine Plans (Mining Remediation Authority plan 14218, Low Main and Slag, abandoned 12 April 1947) — British Geological Survey / Mining Remediation Authority
Record created: 9 October 2026 · Last researched: 9 October 2026