St Anthony's Colliery

Overview

An 18th-century colliery at St Anthony's, Byker, on the north bank of the Tyne east of Newcastle, open before 1769, whose Farewell, Nightingale and Restoration pits worked the High Main and later the Low Main at 805 feet.

History

St Anthony's Colliery lay at St Anthony's, Byker, about two miles east-south-east of Newcastle. It was open before 1769, and besides the main pit it had the Farewell, Nightingale and Restoration pits. In the Farewell Pit a boring of 11 August 1769 and in the Nightingale Pit one of 11 June 1787 proved the High Main, six feet thick, at about 442 feet, below the 70-Fathom Coal.

Its High Main workings of 1781 are on the plans, and on a combined plan with Tyne Main and other collieries. The Restoration Pit, standing about 135 feet above sea level, was the first pit at St Anthony's opened in the Low Main: its shaft passed the High Main, Yard, Bensham, Six-Quarter and Five-Quarter seams to the Low Main, six and a half feet thick, at 805 feet. The Tyne and Wear historic environment record suggests that a High Pit shown at the same spot may be the Restoration Pit.

A Low Main plan of St Anthony's was deposited in 1888, and the High Main and Low Main were finally abandoned in 1934.

Geology

The 70-Fathom Coal, High Main (six feet at about 442 feet), Yard, Bensham, Six-Quarter, Five-Quarter and Low Main (six and a half feet at 805 feet), with a whin dyke recorded in the Restoration Pit section.

Workings

The main pit with the Farewell, Nightingale and Restoration pits; the Restoration was the first pit opened in the Low Main.

Closure

High Main workings are recorded from 1781; the High Main and Low Main were abandoned in 1934.

What remains

Unknown.

Redevelopment

Unknown.

Related mines

• Tyne Main Colliery — Their High Main workings are on one combined plan of several Tyneside collieries.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• A High Pit recorded at the same grid reference may be the Restoration Pit. (uncertain) ⁷

Recorded claims

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

• Opened before 1769. ^1,2
• Besides the main pit there were the Farewell, Nightingale and Restoration pits. ^1,2
• A boring in the Farewell Pit on 11 August 1769 proved the High Main, six feet thick, at about 442 feet. ³
• The Restoration Pit was the first pit opened in the Low Main, reached at 805 feet. ⁴
• High Main workings of 1781 are recorded on the plans. ^5,6
• A High Pit recorded at the same grid reference may be the Restoration Pit. (uncertain) ⁷
• The High Main and Low Main seams were abandoned in 1934. ¹

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (primary) St. Anthony's Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
2. (secondary) St Anthony's Colliery (HER 6941) — Tyne and Wear Historic Environment Record
3. (primary) Account of a Boring in the Farewell Pit, at St. Anthony's Colliery, 11 August 1769 (An Account of the strata of Northumberland & Durham as proved by Borings & Sinkings) — North of England Institute of Mining & Mechanical Engineers, via the Durham Mining Museum
4. (primary) Strata sunk through from the surface to the Low Main Coal, in the Restoration Pit, St. Anthony's Colliery (An Account of the strata of Northumberland & Durham as proved by Borings & Sinkings) — North of England Institute of Mining & Mechanical Engineers, via the Durham Mining Museum
5. (primary) Catalogue of Plans of Abandoned Mines: St. Anthony's Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
6. (primary) St Anthonys Mine Plans (Mining Remediation Authority plan D345, High Main, 1781) — British Geological Survey / Mining Remediation Authority
7. (secondary) High Pit (HER 4189) — Tyne and Wear Historic Environment Record

Record created: 5 October 2026 · Last researched: 9 October 2026