Talkin Colliery

Overview

One of the Earl of Carlisle's fell-top collieries east of Brampton, working by 1769; its Blackside and Dove pits worked the Limestone coal until 1872.

History

Talkin Colliery lay east of Talkin village, in Hayton parish east of Brampton, about eleven miles north-west of Alston. It belonged to the Earl of Carlisle's group of collieries on the fells: in 1769 the Earl was working the Tarnhouse, or Tindale Fell, colliery beside the Talkin and Midgeholme collieries; a waggonway, later the Brampton Railway, was built from Tindale Fell to Brampton in 1775.

The oldest plan, of the Talkin, Wyat's and Wyat's Old workings, dates from about 1799, and a seam probably the Little Limestone coal was abandoned about 1845. Its later pits included the Blackside, or Blacksike, Pit and the Dove Pit, with the Duke, George, Moss and Venture pits on the plans. The Blackside Pit was sunk through plate, shale, limestone and freestone to a coal three feet three inches thick at about 190 feet; the Dove Pit passed the Craw Coal at 206 feet and reached a coal three feet four inches thick at about 237 feet.

In 1817 a man standing at the shaft bottom was killed by coal falling from a corf as it was wound up. The Limestone coal of the Talkin, Blacksike and Dove pits was abandoned in 1872, and the colliery's plans show it with the other Midgeholme and Tarnhouse workings.

Geology

Strata of plate (shale), limestone and freestone (sandstone) with thin coals: the Little Limestone coal, the Craw Coal at 206 feet in the Dove Pit, and coals over three feet thick at about 190 feet (Blackside) and 237 feet (Dove).

Workings

Shafts including the Blackside (Blacksike), Dove, Duke, George, Moss and Venture pits, and the older Wyat's workings.

Closure

A seam probably the Little Limestone coal was abandoned about 1845, and the Limestone coal of the Talkin, Blacksike and Dove pits in 1872.

What remains

Unknown.

Redevelopment

Unknown.

Related mines

• Midgeholme Colliery — The Earl of Carlisle's neighbouring fell collieries, shown together on one general plan.

Recorded claims

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

• In 1769 the Earl of Carlisle was working Tarnhouse colliery beside the Talkin and Midgeholme collieries. ¹
• The oldest plan, of the Talkin and Wyat's workings, dates from about 1799. ²
• The Blackside Pit reached a coal 3 feet 3 inches thick at about 190 feet. ³
• The Dove Pit passed the Craw Coal at 206 feet and reached a coal 3 feet 4 inches thick at about 237 feet. ⁴
• The Limestone coal of the Talkin, Blacksike and Dove pits was abandoned in 1872. ^2,5
• Its workings appear on the general plan of the Midgeholme, Tarnhouse and Talkin collieries. ⁶

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) Brampton Railway — Wikipedia
2. (primary) Catalogue of Plans of Abandoned Mines: Talkin Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
3. (primary) Sinking Account of the Blackside Pit, Talkin Colliery (An Account of the strata of Northumberland & Durham as proved by Borings & Sinkings, Vol. S-T, 1894, no. 1921) — North of England Institute of Mining & Mechanical Engineers, via the Durham Mining Museum
4. (primary) Sunk and Bored at the Dove Pit, in Talkin Colliery (An Account of the strata of Northumberland & Durham as proved by Borings & Sinkings, Vol. S-T, 1894, no. 1922) — North of England Institute of Mining & Mechanical Engineers, via the Durham Mining Museum
5. (primary) Talkin, Blacksike, Dove, Duke, George, Moss, Trial, Venture and West Mine Plans (Mining Remediation Authority abandonment plan 11290, Limestone coal, 1872) — British Geological Survey / Mining Remediation Authority
6. (primary) Midgeholme, Tarnhouse, Talkin, Geltsdale, Hartleyburn and other collieries: general plan and section (Mining Remediation Authority plan NC143) — British Geological Survey / Mining Remediation Authority

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