Netherton Colliery

Overview

A long-lived Northumberland colliery west of Bedlington, sinking from about 1818 and working four pits through the nineteenth century — the Hall, Howard, Leveson and New pits, with the Francis added in 1849. In 1832 the Netherton Waggonway was built to carry its coal to Blyth for shipping, and the village of Nedderton grew up around the workings. It employed 834 people in 1940 and closed on 5 January 1974, after more than a century and a half.

History

Sinking at Netherton, west of Bedlington, began in 1818, and the colliery was returning coal by 1828. Four pits were sunk during the nineteenth century — the Hall, Howard, Leveson and New pits — with the Howard sunk in 1836 and the Francis Pit sunk and opened in 1849. In 1832 the Netherton Waggonway was built to carry the coal to Blyth for onward shipping, and the village of Nedderton grew up around the colliery. The ownership changed hands repeatedly: the trustees of J. Birkenshaw in 1855, Jackson, Nell and Gow through the 1860s, Jackson, Bean and Stewart in 1870, Wood and Atkinson in 1890, William Wood in 1895, the Netherton Hall Coal Company in 1900 and the Netherton Coal Company from 1915. By 1940 the pits employed 834 people, 638 of them below ground. The colliery closed on 5 January 1974, the Howard Pit the day before.

Geology

The Northumberland coalfield west of Bedlington.

Workings

Four pits sunk in the nineteenth century — the Hall, Howard, Leveson and New — with the Francis Pit sunk in 1849, all of them closing in 1974. From 1832 the colliery had its own line, the Netherton Waggonway, running the coal down to Blyth for shipment.

Closure

The colliery closed on 5 January 1974, the Howard Pit having closed on the 4th.

What remains

Nedderton is now a village west of Bedlington with no working colliery.

No colliery structure has been identified as surviving.

Related mines

• Pegswood Colliery — Named together in the same account of a mobile workforce: Pegswood’s local history records that its people came from many parts of Britain and from other collieries in the area, Netherton and Ashington among them, men moving freely between the pits in search of better conditions and housing.

Nearby mines

• Bedlington 'D' Colliery — 1.7 km SE
• Choppington 'A' Pit — 2.9 km E
• Choppington 'B' Pit — 3.1 km E
• Bomarsund Colliery — 3.3 km E
• Bebside Colliery — 4.5 km E

Straight-line distance, within 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.

• The sinking of Netherton Colliery, west of Bedlington, began in 1818. Four pits were sunk during the nineteenth century: the Hall Pit, the Howard Pit, the Leveson Pit and the New Pit. ¹
• The Howard Pit was sunk in 1836 and the Francis Pit sunk and opened in 1849; both, with the Hall Pit, closed in 1974. ²
• In 1832 the Netherton Waggonway was built to transport the coal from the colliery to Blyth for onward shipping, and the village of Nedderton grew up around the colliery. ¹
• The colliery passed through many hands: the trustees of J. Birkenshaw in 1855, Jackson, Nell & Gow from 1860 to 1865, Jackson, Bean & Stewart in 1870, Wood & Atkinson in 1890, William Wood in 1895, the Netherton Hall Coal Co. in 1900 and the Netherton Coal Co. from 1915 to 1940. ¹
• By 1940 there were 834 people employed at the pits of Netherton Colliery, 638 below ground and 196 on the surface. The colliery closed on 5 January 1974. ^2,1

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) Netherton Colliery (c.1818-1974) — Co-Curate, Newcastle University
2. (primary) Netherton Colliery — Durham Mining Museum

Record created: 8 September 2026 · Last researched: 8 September 2026