MineArchiveHowden Colliery
| Location | Howden-le-Wear, near Crook, County Durham — 54.6976, -1.7447 (approximate) |
|---|---|
| Commodity | Coal |
| Type | Coal |
| Worked | 1860s (first record)–1907 |
| Maximum depth | Unknown. |
| Operators | North Bitchburn Coal Company (?–1907), G. Hutchinson & Co., Howden Coal & Brick Co., Chapman, Morson & Co. Ltd |
Overview
A colliery at Howden-le-Wear, recorded from the 1860s and worked by the North Bitchburn Coal Company in the 1890s, raising 250 tons a day with 250 men in 1894. It closed on 4 September 1907.
History
Howden Colliery stood at Howden-le-Wear, a village that grew around its railway stations from the 1840s to house people working in the surrounding mines, coke ovens and brickworks. G. Hutchinson and Co. owned the colliery in the 1860s; in the 1880s it was held by the Howden Coal and Brick Company and by Chapman, Morson and Co. Ltd, and by the 1890s by the North Bitchburn Coal Company. In 1894 the company worked it in the same seams as its principal colliery at North Bitchburn, all but the Brockwell, drawing 250 tons a day with 250 men.
The returns show 122 men in 1883, 268 in 1894 and 262 in 1896, falling to 202 in 1900 and 143 in 1905, by when only the Ballarat and Top Main were being worked. The colliery was abandoned on 4 September 1907, its plans for the Harvey, Ballarat, Constantine, Five Quarter and Top Main being deposited. Auckland Rural District Council is recorded as the owner in the 1910s. Howden Plantation, beside Rumby Hill Bank, appears on the old maps by the colliery.
Geology
Durham Coal Measures: the Harvey, Constantine, Ballarat, Five Quarter and Top Main.
Workings
Unknown.
Closure
Abandoned on 4 September 1907.
What remains
Unknown.
Redevelopment
Unknown.
Related mines
- North Bitchburn Colliery — Both worked by the North Bitchburn Coal Company in the same seams.
Nearby mines
- North Bitchburn Colliery — 0.7 miles (1.2 km) SE
- Woodifield Colliery — 1.0 miles (1.6 km) N
- Greenhead Colliery, Harperley — 1.2 miles (2.0 km) W
- Rough Lea Colliery — 1.7 miles (2.8 km) E
- Witton Park Colliery — 1.8 miles (3.0 km) S
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.
- In 1894 Howden Colliery was worked by the North Bitchburn Coal Company, drawing 250 tons a day with 250 men. 1,2
- It worked the same seams as North Bitchburn Colliery except the Brockwell. 1,2
- The colliery was abandoned on 4 September 1907. 1
Photographs & further reading
Owners, employment, seams and those killed at the colliery.
View sourceThe township's collieries in Whellan's 1894 directory.
View sourceSources
- (primary) Howden Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
- (secondary) GENUKI: Witton-le-Wear, Durham — GENUKI
Record created: 4 October 2026 · Last researched: 4 October 2026