Pittington Colliery

Overview

The Londonderry family's colliery at High Pittington, near Durham, sunk from 1820, with the Adolphus, Londonderry and Buddle pits of 1826-28; it worked the Five Quarter, Main Coal and Low Main until they were worked out in 1891.

History

Pittington Colliery lay at High Pittington, about four miles east-north-east of Durham. Sinking began on 21 August 1820, below the Five Quarter seam towards the Main Coal, and a new group of pits followed: the Adolphus Pit, begun on 22 April 1826, and the Londonderry Pit, begun on 3 April 1826 and finished on 19 June 1828, with the Buddle Pit beside them. The Londonderry Pit passed the Three-Quarter, Five-Quarter, Main Coal, Maudlin and Low Main seams and reached the Brass Thill at 513 feet. The Pittington branch of the Rainton and Seaham Railway was opened to the colliery in 1826, and the Lady Seaham Pit, north of Low Pittington, was sunk in 1836.

The colliery belonged to the Londonderry family. In November 1851 its hewers struck, with those of Lord Londonderry's collieries at Old Durham, Broomside and Penshaw, against working the coal by "plug and feather": instead of blasting the undercut coal with gunpowder, a wedge was driven in at the top of the seam to bring it down. The coal broke less, but the work took longer and cut the hewers' earnings. In the 1850s the colliery was held in the name of Frances Anne Vane, Marchioness of Londonderry, and an 1859 report of a roof fall in the Londonderry Pit calls it her property.

By the 1860s it was owned by North Hetton and Co. In the 1880s Lindsay Wood was agent and T. Wood manager, and 206 people were employed in 1883.

The Five Quarter, Main Coal and Low Main seams were worked out, and were abandoned on 28 February 1891. Older Hutton-seam workings are on the combined plans of the Pittington and Rainton collieries. Earthworks of the colliery showed on aerial photographs, but by 1987 the site had been levelled.

Geology

The Londonderry Pit was sunk through clays, shales and sandstones from a surface about 325 feet above sea level, passing the Three-Quarter, Five-Quarter, Main Coal, Maudlin and Low Main seams to the Brass Thill, 2 feet 5 inches thick at 513 feet. The colliery worked the Hutton, Five Quarter, Main Coal and Low Main.

Workings

The Adolphus, Londonderry and Buddle pits at High Pittington and the Lady Seaham Pit north of Low Pittington. Coal went out by the Pittington branch of the Rainton and Seaham Railway, part of the Londonderry Railway.

Closure

The Five Quarter, Main Coal and Low Main were abandoned on 28 February 1891, the coal worked out.

What remains

The site has been levelled.

Redevelopment

Unknown.

Related mines

• Broomside Colliery — Londonderry collieries whose hewers struck together against plug-and-feather working in 1851.
• North Hetton Colliery — Both owned by North Hetton and Co. from the 1860s.
• Old Durham Colliery — Londonderry collieries whose hewers struck together against plug-and-feather working in 1851.
• Penshaw Colliery — Londonderry collieries whose hewers struck together against plug-and-feather working in 1851.
• Rainton Meadows Colliery — Londonderry pits whose Hutton-seam workings are on one combined Pittington and Rainton abandonment plan.
• Rainton Plain Pit — Londonderry pits whose Hutton-seam workings are on one combined Pittington and Rainton abandonment plan.

Recorded claims

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

• Sinking began on 21 August 1820. ¹
• Opened in 1820, with three main shafts by the late 19th century. ²
• The Londonderry Pit was sunk from 3 April 1826 to 19 June 1828 and reached the Brass Thill seam at 513 feet. ³
• The Pittington branch of the Rainton and Seaham Railway was opened to the colliery in 1826. ⁴
• The Lady Seaham Pit, north of Low Pittington, was sunk in 1836. ⁵
• In November 1851 the hewers struck against working the coal by plug and feather instead of blasting. ⁶
• Held by Frances Anne Vane, Marchioness of Londonderry, in the 1850s and by North Hetton and Co. in the 1860s. ^1,7
• Lindsay Wood was agent and T. Wood manager in the 1880s. ⁸
• Employed 206 people in 1883. ¹
• The Five Quarter, Main Coal and Low Main seams were abandoned on 28 February 1891, worked out. ^9,10
• The colliery site had been levelled by 1987. ²

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (primary) Pittington Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) Pittington Colliery (HER D16058) — Keys to the Past (Durham and Northumberland HER)
3. (primary) Account of Strata sunk through in the Londonderry Pit, North Pittington Colliery, 1826-28 (An Account of the strata of Northumberland & Durham as proved by Borings & Sinkings, Vol. L-R, 1887, no. 1539) — North of England Institute of Mining & Mechanical Engineers, via the Durham Mining Museum
4. (secondary) Rainton and Seaham Railway, Pittington Branch (HER 3217) — Tyne and Wear Historic Environment Record
5. (secondary) Lady Seaham Pit, north of Low Pittington (HER D46758) — Keys to the Past (Durham and Northumberland HER)
6. (primary) Strike of Pitmen (Durham Mining Museum, newspaper transcript, 1 November 1851) — Durham Mining Museum
7. (primary) Fatal Colliery Accident: Two Men Buried Alive (Durham Mining Museum, newspaper transcript, 9 July 1859) — Durham Mining Museum
8. (primary) Pittington Colliery: Colliery Management (prior to 1970) — Durham Mining Museum
9. (primary) Catalogue of Plans of Abandoned Mines: Pittington Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
10. (primary) Pittington Mine Plans (Mining Remediation Authority abandonment plan, High Main/Low Main, abandoned 1891) — British Geological Survey / Mining Remediation Authority

Record created: 9 October 2026 · Last researched: 9 October 2026