MineArchivePhoenix Drift
| Also known as | Pheonix Drift |
|---|---|
| Location | Greenside, near Ryton, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear — 54.9601, -1.7868 (approximate) |
| Commodity | Coal |
| Type | Coal |
| Worked | By 1954–August 1964 |
| Maximum depth | Unknown. |
| Operators | National Coal Board (1954–1964) |
Overview
A National Coal Board drift near Greenside, west of Newcastle, which worked the Ruler, Hutton and Five Quarter seams with up to 215 men and closed in August 1964.
History
Phoenix Drift lay near Greenside, about seven and a half miles west of Newcastle above Blaydon. It was a National Coal Board drift of the 1950s and early 1960s, raising coal from the Hutton and Ruler seams in 1954-56 and then from the Ruler alone.
It employed 152 people in 1955, 140 of them underground, rising to 215 in 1958 and 1959. From 1960 it also worked the Five Quarter, and in 1964 the Old Five Quarter with the Ruler, when 176 were employed.
The drift closed in August 1964. No deaths are recorded there.
Geology
The Hutton, Ruler, Five Quarter and Old Five Quarter seams.
Workings
A drift working the Ruler seam throughout, with the Hutton in 1954-56 and the Five Quarter from 1960.
Closure
Closed in August 1964.
What remains
Unknown.
Redevelopment
Unknown.
Nearby mines
- Greenside Colliery — 0.6 miles (0.9 km) S
- Emma Colliery — 0.8 miles (1.3 km) NE
- Wylam Colliery — 1.3 miles (2.1 km) NW, Northumberland
- Clara Vale Colliery — 1.5 miles (2.4 km) N
- Stargate Colliery — 1.6 miles (2.5 km) E
Straight-line distance, within 9 miles (15 km). Show on the map.
What's uncertain
Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.
- The Northern Mine Research Society's list dates it from 1853. (uncertain) 2
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- Employed 152 people in 1955, 140 of them underground. 1
- Employed 215 people in 1958 and 1959. 1
- Worked the Hutton and Ruler seams in 1954-56 and the Ruler alone from 1957. 1
- Closed in August 1964. 2,1
- The Northern Mine Research Society's list dates it from 1853. (uncertain) 2
Photographs & further reading
Sources
- (primary) Phoenix Drift — Durham Mining Museum
- (secondary) NCB Collieries - England (Northern Mine Research Society) — Northern Mine Research Society
Record created: 9 October 2026 · Last researched: 9 October 2026