Dawdon

Last updated

Dawdon
Blast Beach - geograph.org.uk - 1538494.jpg
Lumps of coal among the rocks on Dawdon Blast Beach
Durham UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Dawdon
Location within County Durham
Population7,220 (2011 census) [1]
OS grid reference NZ433484
Civil parish
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town SEAHAM
Postcode district SR7
Dialling code 0191
Police Durham
Fire County Durham and Darlington
Ambulance North East
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
County Durham
54°49′44″N1°19′37″W / 54.829°N 1.327°W / 54.829; -1.327
Blast Beach near Dawdon was used for exterior shots of the planet Fiorina "Fury" 161 in Alien 3. Blast Beach (37391466).jpeg
Blast Beach near Dawdon was used for exterior shots of the planet Fiorina "Fury" 161 in Alien 3.

Dawdon is a former pit community to the south of Seaham, County Durham, England. An area of the beach near Dawdon (known locally as "the Blast", a former waste coal dumping site) was used in the opening scenes of the science fiction film Alien 3. [2]

Contents

History

The township of Dawdon (commonly spelled Dawden on old records and maps) was in the parish of Dalton-le-Dale [3] and consisted of an area of 1,088 acres between the Durham coast and the townships of Seaham, Dalton-le-Dale and Cold Hesledon. Seaham Harbour was built in the township. The port and town grew during the 19th century. In 1866 Dawdon became a separate civil parish and became part of Seaham Harbour urban district, on 1 April 1937 the parish was abolished and merged with Seaham. [4] and became part of the new Seaham urban district. [5]

"The population in 1801 was 22; in 1811, 27; in 1821, 35; in 1831, in consequence of the construction of a new harbour, it had increased to 1022; in 1841, 2017; in 1851, 3538; in 1861, 6137; in 1871, 7132; in 1881, 7714; and in 1891, 9044." [6] In 1931 the parish had a population of 19,399. [7]

Climate

Dawdon
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
 
 
56
 
 
6
1
 
 
39
 
 
7
1
 
 
51
 
 
9
2
 
 
52
 
 
11
3
 
 
50
 
 
15
6
 
 
55
 
 
17
9
 
 
45
 
 
20
11
 
 
61
 
 
20
11
 
 
58
 
 
17
9
 
 
57
 
 
13
6
 
 
62
 
 
9
3
 
 
59
 
 
7
2
Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source: [8]
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
2.2
 
 
43
33
 
 
1.5
 
 
44
33
 
 
2
 
 
48
36
 
 
2
 
 
52
38
 
 
1.9
 
 
58
42
 
 
2.2
 
 
63
47
 
 
1.8
 
 
68
51
 
 
2.4
 
 
67
51
 
 
2.3
 
 
62
47
 
 
2.2
 
 
55
43
 
 
2.4
 
 
48
38
 
 
2.3
 
 
45
35
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches

Like the rest of the United Kingdom, Dawdon has a temperate climate. At 643.3 millimetres (25 in) [8] the average annual rainfall is lower than the national average of 1,125 millimetres (44 in). [9] Equally there are only around 121.3 days [8] where more than 1 millimetre (0.04 in) of rain falls compared with a national average of 154.4 days. [9] The area sees on average 1374.6 hours of sunshine per year, [8] compared with a national average of 1125.0 hours. [9] There is frost on 52 days [8] compared with a national average of 55.6 days. [9] Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures are 12.5 °C (54.5 °F) and 5.2 °C (41.4 °F) [8] compared with a national averages of 12.1 °C (53.8 °F) and 5.1 °C (41.2 °F) respectively. [9]

The table below gives the average temperature and rainfall figures taken between 1971 and 2000 at the Met Office weather station in Durham:

MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °C (°F)16.7
(62.1)
17.4
(63.3)
21.7
(71.1)
24.1
(75.4)
27.8
(82.0)
30.6
(87.1)
36.9
(98.4)
32.5
(90.5)
30.0
(86.0)
25.0
(77.0)
19.4
(66.9)
15.9
(60.6)
36.9
(98.4)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)6.9
(44.4)
7.8
(46.0)
9.9
(49.8)
12.5
(54.5)
15.4
(59.7)
18.0
(64.4)
20.2
(68.4)
19.9
(67.8)
17.4
(63.3)
13.5
(56.3)
9.7
(49.5)
7.1
(44.8)
13.2
(55.8)
Daily mean °C (°F)4.1
(39.4)
4.6
(40.3)
6.2
(43.2)
8.3
(46.9)
10.9
(51.6)
13.6
(56.5)
15.8
(60.4)
15.6
(60.1)
13.3
(55.9)
10.0
(50.0)
6.6
(43.9)
4.2
(39.6)
9.5
(49.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)1.3
(34.3)
1.4
(34.5)
2.5
(36.5)
4.1
(39.4)
6.5
(43.7)
9.3
(48.7)
11.3
(52.3)
11.3
(52.3)
9.2
(48.6)
6.5
(43.7)
3.6
(38.5)
1.4
(34.5)
5.7
(42.3)
Record low °C (°F)−17.2
(1.0)
−18.3
(−0.9)
−15.0
(5.0)
−11.1
(12.0)
−4.4
(24.1)
−1.1
(30.0)
1.1
(34.0)
0.6
(33.1)
−1.1
(30.0)
−5.5
(22.1)
−8.8
(16.2)
−16.6
(2.1)
−18.3
(−0.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches)51.8
(2.04)
44.6
(1.76)
41.1
(1.62)
51.2
(2.02)
44.4
(1.75)
61.0
(2.40)
60.9
(2.40)
66.5
(2.62)
56.9
(2.24)
63.4
(2.50)
73.0
(2.87)
61.0
(2.40)
675.7
(26.60)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)11.89.98.69.18.69.910.710.39.411.812.012.0124.1
Mean monthly sunshine hours 60.984.4121.7160.8187.1167.1174.3167.3135.398.964.657.61,480
Source 1: Met Office [10] [11] [12]
Source 2: Durham Weather UK [13]

Economy

This is a chart of trend of regional gross value added of County Durham at current basic prices published Archived 16 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine (pp. 240–253) by Office for National Statistics with figures in millions of British Pounds Sterling.

YearRegional Gross Value Added [14] Agriculture [15] Industry [16] Services [17]
19954,063471,7552,261
20004,783401,8402,904
20035,314391,9783,297

Match fees for tonight £5 please bring cash only

St Hild and St Helen's Church

The church of St Hild and St Helen's - known as the Pitman's Cathedral - was built by donations from local pitmen and consecrated on 10 February 1912.

A Grand Bazaar, charity events and a £2,000 donation from the Marquess of Londonderry helped pay for the building and hundreds of pitmen mingled with ministers and civic dignitaries for the grand unveiling.

"The milestone date began with Holy Communion, held for the last time in the former Cottages School," the late Tom McNee recorded in a history of the church.

"After lunch at Seaham Hall, the Marquess of Londonderry and his distinguished party of 100 joined more than 500 parishioners for the ceremony."

In the 1860s, the part of Seaham Harbour which would become Dawdon consisted of three isolated communities. The first had grown around the bottleworks, the second was next to a chemical works, and the third was at Swinebank – housing Londonderry's engine and wagon works staff.

His decision to sink a new colliery at Dawdon in 1899 was to change the face of the area forever. As work on the pit progressed, so the three little hamlets were swallowed up by rows of houses, shops and pubs.

Plans for a new church followed, with the Marchioness of Londonderry laying the foundation stone in September 1910. Walter Bolland, the senior curate, took church services in the nearby Cottages Schoolroom while the work progressed.

Just two years later, the new £6,500 St Hild and St Helen's was finished, seating up to 700 worshippers in comfort. "Uniquely, it was built from north to south, rather than east to west, because of an unusual fault in the rock formation under the church," Mr McNee recorded.

The interior "was beautified by numerous and costly gifts", many from Marchioness Theresa, including a fine organ. But the high altar was a particular highlight, decorated with the face of St Hild and carved as a likeness to Theresa.

Church organisations soon flourished, including a successful choir, which opera singer Thomas Allen once belonged to. Decades later, however, the vicarage and church came under attack from Hitler's Luftwaffe during World War II .

As explosives dropped in nearby streets, the vicar, James Duncan, sought refuge under the stairs of the vicarage. Just minutes later, two bombs exploded next to the house, bringing down ceilings and ripping doors from hinges.

A large hole was also blown in the west wall of the Grade II-listed church and almost all the stained-glass windows were shattered. Confident the community would be able to raise the £1,000 needed for repairs, the Rev Duncan authorised work to begin.

His faith in the people of Dawdon was soon rewarded as, just nine months later, the target was reached. However, the church again faced an uncertain future, eventually closing due to dwindling congregation numbers.

While St Hild and St Helen Church was in the process of closing down the local A.O.G. Pentecostal church in the town, The Lighthouse Christian Centre came forward with an offer to buy the building. The Church of England agreed to sell for a nominal sum on condition that it would continue to be used as a Christian church.

The keys were handed over to the newly named "St Hild and St Helen Christian Fellowship” in October 2008. A Thanksgiving Service was held in the same month where the congregation was joined by the "Churches Together" group of Seaham Christian churches.

It was decided to refurbish and update the building so that it would be better suited to serve the community. Rooms were created to enable a wide range of services to fulfil the aim of becoming a church in the community for the community.

Work commenced in January 2009 and lasted 5 months. The church Centenary was celebrated in November 2012, consisting of an "Open Day" featuring a "Victorian Christmas Fayre", "Wedding Fashion Show" and a "Songs of Praise" service.

Since then the church has continued and extended its programme of services to the community, reaching out to all ages in Dawdon and beyond.

The programme now consists of Toddlers Groups, a Food Bank, Lunch Club, C.A.P. Debt Centre, Craft Group, Healthy Eating on a Budget Courses, Youth Group, funeral services and the free wedding service called "Marriage Matters" which has attracted more than 60 weddings so far.

The "Pitman's Cathedral" lives on, and in fact the pastor since it changed hands, Mr David Taylor, is an ex-pitman himself.

St Hild and St Helen Christian Fellowship is a Charity registered in England No. 1052543.

Dawdon Colliery

The decision to create a new pit at Dawdon was taken by the Marquess of Londonderry in the late 19th century, due to problems at his collieries in nearby Seaham. As Seaham Colliery's workings pushed out to the south-east, it became increasing expensive to mine the reserves from the old pit's shafts.

It was therefore decided to sink new shafts in the rocky coastal area of Noses Point, close to the ancient settlement of Dawdon. Sinking work began in March 1900, but soon ran into problems. Water-bearing rocks proved difficult to excavate, which meant freezing techniques had to be used. The colliery finally opened for production in October 1907. Dawdon reached the peak of its employment in 1925, when 3862 men and boys helped to produce over one million tonnes of coal annually.

The men of Dawdon Colliery were forced into several industrial disputes with those who wanted to maintain their profits, but escaped the major tragedies suffered by pits at Seaham and Easington Colliery. Many of Dawdon's men did die within its depths, but usually from individual accidents.

Dawdon was a major coal producer for the Londonderry family throughout their ownership, and was later a jewel in the crown for the National Coal Board too. Under nationalisation, the government claimed that the mines belonged to the miners. This proved to be a nonsense as later industrial disputes proved. However, as the mining industry went into decline in the 1980s, Dawdon suffered too. The colliery was eventually closed in July 1991.

Home to a rich industrial past relating closely with its near neighbour Seaham, Dawdon was home to the Seaham Harbour Blast Furnace, in Dawdon Field Dene. The original Seaham Bottle Works was situated here in 1855. The blast furnaces closed in 1865 but were soon replaced by the Chemical Works.

In 1920 the new colliery, Dawdon, employed 3,300 workers and produced over 1 million tons of coal per year outstripping its local competitors. The ironworks and colliery sites have recently been reclaimed and a modern industrial estate launching Dawdon into the 21st century.

Timeline

1900 March – started sinking of shafts.

1907 October – completed sinking of shafts. 5 October – colliery opened.

1910 Welfare Hall opened. Twenty streets of colliery houses built.

1912 Church of St Hild and St Helen, known as "The Pitmen’s Cathedral" erected by the Londonderry family.

1914 Low Main and Hutton seams being worked.

1921 Low Main, Maudlin, Hutton and Main coal seams being worked.

1921 8 August – Triple Alliance of Miners, Railwaymen and Transport Workers started. 30 June – strike called off plunging Durham into a trade depression that left 20% of miners and over 100 collieries idle.

1925 Employment peaks at 3862

1926 May – General Strike started. November – Durham Miners returned to work having held out for 7 months.

1927 12 Aged Miners' cottages built in Dawdon.

1929 2 March – Dawdon Miners locked out in dispute over piece work rates. 4 November – Dawdon Miners reluctantly return to work.

1930 1000 Dawdon miners laid off. Seaham Colliery closed for 2 years to ensure production at Londonderry's new Vane Tempest Colliery.

1930s Dawdon Welfare Park completed.

1935 Low Main, Maudlin, Hutton and Main coal seams being worked.

1940 15 August – Dawdon bombed by Luftwaffe. 12 dead, 119 people homeless, 5 houses destroyed, Dawdon Church, Vicarage and 230 houses damaged.

1947 Nationalisation of Coal Industry. 2556 miners employed at Dawdon. 647,555 tonnes of coal produced.

1950 Low Main, Maudlin, Hutton and Main coal seams being worked.

1950s Steam winders replaced by electric Koepe winders.

1960 2348 miners employed. Low Main, Maudlin, Hutton, Main Coal and High Main (Dawdon's highest producing seam) seams being worked.

1969 13 October – Dawdon on strike for 3 days in support of Yorkshire Miners demanding shorter shifts for surface workers.

1972 High Main and Yard Seams being worked. 8 January – National Strike begins demanding substantial wage rise. 28 February – successful conclusion to National Strike.

1974 9 February – 6-week strike began. Again for improved wages and conditions.

1975 High Main and Yard seams being worked.

1980 2106 miners employed. High Main, Yard and Main coal seams being worked.

1984 14 March – All Durham collieries join national strike against the threat of pit closures by the Conservative government

1985 3 March – National Strike over without agreement. Dawdon Miners returned to work behind their banner and promptly marched back out as a gesture of defiance. Only 133 men had returned to work early. High Main, Yard, Main Coal and "C" seams being worked. 2186 miners employed.

1986 E90 Face lost to water.

1988 1700 miners employed. One million tons of coal abandoned for safety reasons in the "G" seam.

1990 1592 miners employed. High Main, Yard, Main Coal and "C" seams being worked.

1991 27 July – Dawdon Colliery closed.

Pitmen and boys who lost their lives at Dawdon Colliery

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seaham</span> Seaside town in County Durham, England

Seaham is a seaside town in County Durham, England. Located on the Durham Coast, Seaham is situated 6 miles south of Sunderland and 13 miles (21 km) east of Durham. The town grew from the late 19th century onwards as a result of investments in its harbour and coal mines. The town is twinned with the German town of Gerlingen.

Brandon is a village in County Durham, England. It is situated a short distance to the southwest of Durham. Brandon was originally one of the seven townships within the ancient parish of Brancepeth. It grew from a sparsely populated agricultural area into a populous mining district after the establishment of collieries and later coke and fireclay works. Until the 19th century Brandon village, formerly known as East Brandon, was one of the larger settlements in Brancepeth Parish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Easington Colliery</span> Village in County Durham, England

Easington Colliery is a village in County Durham, England, known for a history of coal mining. It is situated to the north of Horden, a short distance to the east of Easington. It had a population of 4,959 in 2001, and 5,022 at the 2011 Census.

Murton is a village in County Durham, England. Lying eight miles (13 km) east of the city of Durham and six miles (9.7 km) south of Sunderland, it has a population of 4,534, increasing to 7,676 at the 2011 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hartley Colliery disaster</span> 1862 mining disaster in England

The Hartley Colliery disaster was a coal mining accident in Northumberland, England, that occurred on 16 January 1862 and resulted in the deaths of 204 men and children. The beam of the pit's pumping engine broke and fell down the shaft, trapping the men below. The disaster prompted a change in British law that required all collieries to have at least two independent means of escape.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nantgarw</span> Human settlement in Wales

Nantgarw is a village in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, near Cardiff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kent Coalfield</span> Coal mining area in England

The Kent Coalfield is a coalfield in the eastern part of the English county of Kent. The Coalfields Trust defines the Kent Coalfield as the wards of Barham Downs and Marshside in the Canterbury district, and the wards of Aylesham, Eastry, Eythorne & Shepherdswell, Middle Deal & Sholden, Mill Hill and North Deal in the Dover district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kellingley Colliery</span> Former coal mine in North Yorkshire, England (1965–2015)

Kellingley Colliery, known affectionately as the 'Big K', was a deep coal mine in North Yorkshire, England, 3.6 miles (5.8 km) east of Ferrybridge power station. It was owned and operated by UK Coal.

The South Yorkshire Coalfield is so named from its position within Yorkshire. It covers most of South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and a small part of North Yorkshire. The exposed coalfield outcrops in the Pennine foothills and dips under Permian rocks in the east. Its most famous coal seam is the Barnsley Bed. Coal has been mined from shallow seams and outcrops since medieval times and possibly earlier.

Frickley & South Elmsall Colliery was opened by the Carlton Main Colliery Company Ltd in 1903 in South Elmsall, in Yorkshire, England.

The South Waratah Colliery was a coal mine located at Charlestown, in New South Wales Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gresford Colliery</span> Former coal mine in Gresford, Wrexham, Wales

Gresford Colliery was a coal mine located a mile from the North Wales village of Gresford, near Wrexham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lancashire Coalfield</span> Coal mining region in England

The Lancashire Coalfield in North West England was an important British coalfield. Its coal seams were formed from the vegetation of tropical swampy forests in the Carboniferous period over 300 million years ago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheriff Hill Colliery</span>

Sheriff Hill Colliery or Ellison Main Colliery was a coal mine at Gateshead Fell in County Durham, England. The colliery had two shafts and provided employment to the residents of Sheriff Hill, after it opened in 1793. There were many major accidents resulting in the deaths of workers at the colliery. There was a protracted strike at the colliery in 1834. The colliery closed in 1926.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bradford Colliery</span> Coal mine

Bradford Colliery was a coal mine in Bradford, Manchester, England. Although part of the Manchester Coalfield, the seams of the Bradford Coalfield correspond more closely to those of the Oldham Coalfield. The Bradford Coalfield is crossed by a number of fault lines, principally the Bradford Fault, which was reactivated by mining activity in the mid-1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wheldale Colliery</span> Former coal mine in Castleford, West Yorkshire, England

Wheldale Colliery was a coal mine located in Castleford, Yorkshire, England which produced coal for 117 years. It was accessed from Wheldon Road.

A colliery viewer or coal viewer was the manager of a coal mine or colliery. The term was mostly used in the late eighteenth to nineteenth centuries, in the UK. In modern use, the viewer would be the senior and responsible mining engineer at a site.

Barrow Colliery was a coal mine in Worsbrough, South Yorkshire, England. It was first dug in 1873, with the first coal being brought to the surface in January 1876. It was the scene of a major incident in 1907 when seven miners died. After 109 years of coaling operations, the mine was closed in May 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bentley Colliery</span> Former coal mine in South Yorkshire, England

Bentley Colliery was a coal mine in Bentley, near Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England, that operated between 1906 and 1993. In common with many other mines, it suffered disasters and accidents. The worst Bentley disaster was in 1931 when 45 miners were killed after a gas explosion. The site of the mine has been converted into a woodland.

References

  1. "Ward population 2011". Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  2. "Boomtime for British film industry". Archived from the original on 18 October 2007. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
  3. "Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for Dawdon". A Vision of Britain through Time . Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  4. "Relationships and changes Dawdon CP/Tn through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  5. http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10136878
  6. History, Topography and Directory of Durham, Whellan, London, 1894
  7. "Population statistics Dawdon CP/Tn through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Durham 1971-2000 averages Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine , Met Office. Retrieved on 20 August 2007.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 UK 1971-2000 averages Archived 5 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine , Met Office. Retrieved on 20 August 2007.
  10. "Durham (Durham) UK climate averages". Met Office. 1991–2020. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  11. "Exceptional warmth, December 2015". Met Office. 27 January 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  12. Kendon, Mike; McCarthy, Mark; Jevrejeva, Svetlana; Legg, Tim (2015). "State of the UK Climate 2015" (PDF). Met Office . Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  13. "North East England Climate : Durham Weather". Durham Weather UK. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  14. Components may not sum to totals due to rounding
  15. includes hunting and forestry
  16. includes energy and construction
  17. includes financial intermediation services indirectly measured