Hutton Henry Colliery

Overview

The Hutton Henry Coal Company's colliery near Wingate, which drew its first coal on 7 April 1876. With the Marley and Perseverance pits it raised about 190,000 tons a year and employed over 1,000 in 1894, but closed in November 1897 when the coal stopped paying.

History

Hutton Henry Colliery, north-west of the village of Hutton Henry near Wingate, drew its first coals on 7 April 1876. It had two pits: the Marley Pit, sunk to the Busty at about 843 feet, and the Perseverance Pit, sunk and bored to about 991 feet, both from ground some 400 feet above sea level. The Hutton Henry Coal Company Ltd owned it, and also the nearby Rodridge Colliery. The opening of the collieries changed the place: the population of Hutton Henry rose from 156 in 1801 to 3,151 in 1891.

In 1894 the company was working the Hutton, 3 feet thick at 115 fathoms, the Harvey, 3 feet 6 inches at 137 fathoms, and the Busty, 4 feet 4 inches. Large quantities of coal were made into coke on the spot, and the output was about 190,000 tons a year with some 1,000 men and boys; the returns show 512 in 1883 and 1,152 in 1894. Two years later only 525 were employed. The colliery became uneconomic, and on 13 November 1897 the Hutton, Harvey and Busty were abandoned, the minerals not being profitable to work.

Geology

Durham Coal Measures: the Hutton (3 feet at 115 fathoms), the Harvey (3 feet 6 inches at 137 fathoms) and the Busty (4 feet 4 inches).

Workings

The Marley Pit and the Perseverance Pit; coke ovens at the colliery.

Closure

Closed on 13 November 1897; the Hutton, Harvey and Busty were not profitable to work.

What remains

Unknown.

Redevelopment

Unknown.

Recorded claims

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

• Hutton Henry Colliery drew its first coals on 7 April 1876. ^1,2
• In 1894 the output was about 190,000 tons a year, and some 1,000 men and boys were employed. ^1,2,3
• The population of Hutton Henry rose from 156 in 1801 to 3,151 in 1891 with the opening of the collieries. ³
• The colliery closed on 13 November 1897, the minerals not being profitable to work. ^1,2

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (primary) Hutton Henry Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Hutton Henry Colliery (1876 - 1897) — Co-Curate (Newcastle University)
3. (secondary) Hutton Henry — Wikipedia

Record created: 4 October 2026 · Last researched: 4 October 2026