Ellington Colliery

Last updated

Ellington Colliery
The Big E
Ellington Colliery - geograph.org.uk - 611841.jpg
Ellington Colliery
Location
Northumberland UK location map.svg
Schlaegel und Eisen nach DIN 21800.svg
Ellington Colliery
The Big E
Location Ellington
County Northumberland
CountryEngland
Coordinates 55°13′01″N1°33′18″W / 55.217°N 1.555°W / 55.217; -1.555
Production
ProductsCoal
Production2,326,000 tonnes (2,564,000 tons)
Financial year1989/1990
Greatest depth2,600 feet (800 m)
History
Opened1909 (1909)
Closed2005 (2005)
Owner
CompanySee section

Ellington Colliery (also known as The Big E), [1] was a coal mine situated to the south of the village of Ellington in Northumberland, England. The colliery was the last deep coal mine in the north east of England (also known as the Great Northern Coalfield). At one time, the deepest part of the mine was 800 metres (2,600 ft) and it extended 15 miles (24 km) under the North Sea. [2] During the 1980s, the pit (along with Lynemouth Colliery) was known as the biggest undersea mine in the world and produced 69% of the mined coal in Northumberland.

Contents

Ellington had several faces for mining and was known for winning coal from under the North Sea, before flooding caused the early closure of the mine.

History

The pit was first sunk into the Great Northern Coalfield in 1909, [3] but wasn't completed until 1913. Coal was mined from the Ashington, High Main, Main, Yard, Low Main and Brass Thill seams. [4] By 1974, over 66% of the mine's output was going to the adjacent aluminium smelter, with the remainder being sold to the CEGB. [5] Ellington and Lynemouth Collieries were linked underground, and were known as Ellington Combine. When Lynemouth Colliery was deliberately flooded to try and extinguish a fire, a new drift entrance was built called Bewick Drift, with all coal from Ellington being brought to the surface there and then latterly moved on a conveyor to the aluminium smelter. [6] Bewick Drift opened in 1968, and the railway connection to Ellington from the west became redundant. It closed in the late 1970s. [7]

During the 1970s, coal waste from Ellington and Lynemouth Colleries was tipped into the sea. The action of the waves upon the coal waste separated out the coal which would float. This waste, coupled with coal from the seams under the sea being washed up on local beaches, created a local harvesting industry known as Seacoaling. [8]

In 1983, the pit set a record by outputting 1,000,000 tonnes (1,100,000 tons) in just 29 weeks. [9] At the same time, it was estimated that Ellington employed 50 pit ponies, one of the last large industrial producers to do so. [10] Throughout the 1980s, Ellington remained the most profitable colliery in the Northumberland coalfield, and during 1985/86, it was only colliery in that area to turn a profit. [11] It was also the worlds' largest undersea project, and regularly accounted for over 69% of all deep-mined coal in the county of Northumberland. [12] [13]

In February 1984, a few weeks before the start of the 1984–1985 miners' strike, the National Coal Board chairman, Ian MacGregor visited the colliery but was "besieged" by 400 miners protesting about the planned closure of Bates Colliery at Blyth. This led to MacGregors planned underground tour being cancelled and as he was being given a secure police escort off the site, the protesters surged forward and a low fence collapsed with MacGregor being "jostled" to the ground. The NUM later said it would not apologise for the incident. [14] [15]

British Coal closed the mine on 18 February 1994, with the loss of 1,100 jobs. [16] [17] The last pit ponies used in a commercial venture in England were also retired at the same time. [18] The mine was acquired by RJB Mining for £800 million, and they reopened it for production in March 1995. [19] [20]

In November 1999, the site was threatened with closure by RJB Mining due to "deteriorating geological conditions". The company said that the coal being produced was too low quality, [2] and slated closure of the site for February 2000. [21]

The mine was used as a backdrop for the fictional colliery in the film Billy Elliot in 2000. Ellington was used, because it was one of a very small number of operational mines remaining in the north east of England. [22]

The mine was once again threatened with closure in 2002 after running up losses of £26 million in 2001. But an injection of £1 million in cash was used to search for new seams, which at the time, was said to have guaranteed the life of the mine until 2007. [23]

Final closure of the mine came on 26 January 2005. [24] An inundation of water underground made operations unsafe, although the pumps were kept working in an effort to see what could be salvaged from underground, however, over £8 million worth of equipment was left in the floodwaters. [25] The 300+ miners who worked at the mine were later given £6,000 each after an employment tribunal ruled that UK Coal hadn't given the statutory 90-day consultation notice of closure. UK Coal stated that the immediate closure due to flooding prevented them giving prior notification. [26]

By February 2006, two of the shafts had been capped and the 90-foot (27 m) winding tower had been demolished. [27] Since closure, the site has been redeveloped for housing. [28]

A report released in 2020, estimated that over 30 million tonnes (33,000,000 tons) of colliery waste had been tipped at the coast near to Lynemouth from Ellington Combine and other local pits. Aside from the environmental damage, the tipped spoil acted as a replenishment for the nearby beaches, and with Ellington closing in 2005, this tipping had ceased. The beaches are now suffering from faster erosion rates than were previously recorded, as there is now no beach replenishment. [29] [30]

Production

Between 1974 and its closure in 2005, an average of 66% of the mine's output went to the nearby Lynemouth Power Station.

Ellington Colliery Paddy Train at the NRM Shildon Paddy Train at the NRM Shildon.jpg
Ellington Colliery Paddy Train at the NRM Shildon
Production statistics of Ellington Colliery
YearProductionNotes
1947412,000 tonnes (454,000 tons) [31]
1981/19821,783,000 tonnes (1,965,000 tons) [32]
1985/19862,118,000 tonnes (2,335,000 tons) [32]
1988/19892,326,000 tonnes (2,564,000 tons) [32]
1989/19902,110,000 tonnes (2,330,000 tons) [32]
1990/19912,300,000 tonnes (2,500,000 tons) [33]
1993/19942,200,000 tonnes (2,400,000 tons) [34]
1994/19951,200,000 tonnes (1,300,000 tons)Projected amount in 1993 due to electricity generation cutbacks [34]
2001600,000 tonnes (660,000 tons) [31]
2002700,000 tonnes (770,000 tons) [31]
2003600,000 tonnes (660,000 tons) [31]

Ownership

Between 1947 and 1992, the mine was in public ownership with the switch in 1986 being a name change. Likewise, the period of 1992 to 2005, the mine was in private ownership with the switch in 2001 being a name change after Richard Budge retired. [31] Whilst the mine was acquired by RJB Mining in 1994, it didn't resume production until 1995. [35]

Notable colliers

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1984–1985 United Kingdom miners' strike</span> Industrial action in British coal mining

The 1984–1985 United Kingdom miners' strike was a major industrial action within the British coal industry in an attempt to prevent colliery closures. It was led by Arthur Scargill of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) against the National Coal Board (NCB), a government agency. Opposition to the strike was led by the Conservative government of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who wanted to reduce the power of the trade unions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Union of Mineworkers (Great Britain)</span> British coal mining trade union

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is a trade union for coal miners in Great Britain, formed in 1945 from the Miners' Federation of Great Britain (MFGB). The NUM took part in three national miners' strikes, in 1972, 1974 and 1984–85. Following the 1984–85 strike, and the subsequent closure of most of Britain's coal mines, it became a much smaller union. It had around 170,000 members when Arthur Scargill became leader in 1981, a figure which had fallen in 2023 to an active membership of 82.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellington, Northumberland</span> Human settlement in England

Ellington is a small village in the civil parish of Ellington and Linton, on the coast of Northumberland, England. Ellington is 4 miles (6 km) from Ashington, 6 miles (10 km) from Morpeth and 20 miles (32 km) north of Newcastle upon Tyne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lynemouth</span> Human settlement in England

Lynemouth is a village in Northumberland, England, 3 miles (5 km) northeast of Ashington, close to the village of Ellington to the north west. It was built close to coal mines, including Lynemouth Colliery.

Pegswood is a historic mining village and civil parish in Northumberland, England, and the site of the former Pegswood Colliery. Pegswood is two miles (3 km) east of Morpeth and three miles (5 km) west of Ashington, with a population of around 3,280. Pegswood is on a small hill above the valley in which Morpeth is situated, close to the River Wansbeck and to the small stream Brocks Burn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pit pony</span> Animal used in mines

A pit pony, otherwise known as a mining horse, was a horse, pony or mule commonly used underground in mines from the mid-18th until the mid-20th century. The term "pony" was sometimes broadly applied to any equine working underground.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UK Coal</span> Private mining firm in the United Kingdom

UK Coal Production Ltd, formerly UK Coal plc, was the largest coal mining business in the United Kingdom. The company was based in Harworth, in Nottinghamshire. The company was a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. The successor company that contains the former property division, Harworth Group, is still listed on the London Stock Exchange.

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

The Maltby Main Colliery was a coal mine located 7 miles (11 km) east of Rotherham on the eastern edge of Maltby, South Yorkshire, England. The mine was closed in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashington</span> Town and parish in Northumberland, England

Ashington is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, with a population of 27,864 at the 2011 Census. It was once a centre of the coal mining industry. The town is 15 miles (24 km) north of Newcastle upon Tyne, west of the A189 and bordered to the south by the River Wansbeck. Many inhabitants have a distinctive accent and dialect known as Pitmatic. This varies from the regional dialect known as Geordie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lynemouth power station</span> Biomass power station in Northumberland, England

Lynemouth Power Station is a biomass power plant which provides electricity for the UK National Grid. Until March 2012, it was the main source of electricity for the nearby Alcan Lynemouth Aluminium Smelter. It is located on the coast of Northumberland, north east of the town of Ashington in north east England. The station has stood as a landmark on the Northumberland coast since it opened in 1972, and had been privately owned by aluminium company Rio Tinto Alcan throughout its operation until December 2013, when RWE npower took over. In January 2016 it was acquired by Energetický a průmyslový holding.

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

Hatfield Colliery, also known as Hatfield Main Colliery, was a colliery in the South Yorkshire Coalfield, mining the High Hazel coal seam. The colliery was around 1 mile (1.6 km) northwest of Hatfield, South Yorkshire, adjacent north of the railway line from Doncaster to Scunthorpe northeast of Hatfield and Stainforth railway station.

Open-pit coal mining in the United Kingdom is in decline, and is planned to end in November 2023. Output has fallen every year since 2010. In 2010, the United Kingdom was forecast to produce about ten million tonnes of coal a year from open-pit mines. Most came from Scotland, with the largest operator there being the Scottish Coal subsidiary of Scottish Resources Group. Actual production in 2010 was over 13 million tonnes but this has declined to less than 8 million tonnes in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coal mining in the United Kingdom</span> Fossil fuel from underground

Coal mining in the United Kingdom dates back to Roman times and occurred in many different parts of the country. Britain's coalfields are associated with Northumberland and Durham, North and South Wales, Yorkshire, the Scottish Central Belt, Lancashire, Cumbria, the East and West Midlands and Kent. After 1972, coal mining quickly collapsed and had practically disappeared by the 21st century. The consumption of coal—mostly for electricity—fell from 157 million tonnes in 1970 to 18 million tonnes in 2016, of which 77% was imported from Colombia, Russia, and the United States. Employment in coal mines fell from a peak of 1,191,000 in 1920 to 695,000 in 1956, 247,000 in 1976, 44,000 in 1993, 2,000 in 2015, and to 360 in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Markham Main Colliery</span> Former colliery in South Yorkshire, England

Markham Main Colliery was a coal mine in Armthorpe, on the eastern edge of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It could be seen, and was a landmark, from the nearby M18.

Oliver Percival Kilbourn was a British coal miner, painter, and founding member of the Ashington Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monckton Coke Works</span> Former coking plant in South Yorkshire, England

Monckton Coke Works was a coking plant near Royston in South Yorkshire, England. The plant opened in 1884 and was closed 130 years later in 2014, being one of the last remnants of the coal industry in Yorkshire. In the 21st century, it was known as being the last independent coke works in the United Kingdom. For many years it was known for its high-quality coking coal, even being exported to coal-rich South Africa for use in steelmaking. However, in 2013/2014, the market was swamped with cheap imports from the Far East, spelling the demise of Monckton due to it being uneconomical.

Parkside Colliery was a coal mine in Newton-le-Willows, in the historic county of Lancashire, but from 1974, until its closure in 1993, it was in Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, in the metropolitan county of Merseyside. It was always described as being in Lancashire, and was the last deep coal mine operating in the Lancashire Coalfield upon closure.

The Prince of Wales Colliery was a coal mine that operated for over 130 years in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England. It was permanently closed in 2002 after geological problems were found to make accessing remaining coal reserves unprofitable, and most of the site was later converted for housing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Druridge Bay Country Park</span> Country Park in Northumberland, England

Druridge Bay Country Park is adjacent to Druridge Bay between Amble and Cresswell, on the coastline of Northumberland, England. The country park was opened officially in 1989, but works had been ongoing since the 1970s to remediate the site after opencast coaling operations. The park is accessible by vehicle from the A1068 road, and is located on the England Coast Path. Public transport can be taken near to the park's closest village, which involves a 15-minute walk to get to the park.

Mik Critchlow was a British social documentary and portrait photographer who made work about North East England, in particular about his home town of Ashington. A book of this work was published in 2019 and he had a solo exhibition at Woodhorn museum in 2021/22. Critchlow's work is held in the collection of Amber Film & Photography Collective.

References

  1. ↑ "BBC - Tyne - Features - The end of an era". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  2. 1 2 Barrie, Chris (1 November 1999). "Last deep pit in NE faces closure - again". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  3. ↑ Pigott 2016, p. 15.
  4. ↑ EMTF 2012, p. 1.
  5. ↑ Ellison 1993, p. 304–305.
  6. ↑ "Mine site pulled down". Chronicle Live. 8 May 2005. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  7. ↑ "Ellington Colliery – Subterranea Britannica". www.subbrit.org.uk. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  8. ↑ Dilnot, Clive (1 May 2012). "Chris Killip: The Last Photographer of the Working Class". Afterimage. 39 (6): 17. doi:10.1525/aft.2012.39.6.15.
  9. ↑ Morton, David (25 May 2016). "10 images of Ellington Colliery in Northumberland". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  10. ↑ Pigott 2016, p. 40.
  11. ↑ Hutchinson 1992, p. 180.
  12. ↑ Samuelson, Maurice (19 July 1985). "Miners At Undersea Pit Set Production Records / Ellington colliery, Northumberland" . infoweb.newsbank.com. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  13. ↑ Dafter, Ray (25 January 1983). "Going to sea for coal" . infoweb.newsbank.com. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  14. ↑ Douglas-Home, Charles, ed. (23 February 1984). "MacGregor knocked over at pit protest". The Times. No. 61, 765. p. 1. ISSN   0140-0460.
  15. ↑ Gosling, Kenneth (24 February 1984). "Cabinet horror at pit incident". The Times. No. 61, 766. p. 1. ISSN   0140-0460.
  16. ↑ "Last pit closes - North East, Ellington Colliery, near Ashington" . infoweb.newsbank.com. 19 February 1994. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  17. ↑ Stothard, Peter, ed. (4 February 1994). "Four pits and 3,000 jobs to go". The Times. No. 64, 870. p. 23. ISSN   0140-0460.
  18. ↑ Clement, Barrie (25 February 1994). "Last pit ponies emerge from the darkness: Closure of North-east's only". The Independent. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  19. ↑ Herbert, Ian (18 April 2000). "Ellington colliery welcomes Byers' £100m subsidy". The Independent. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  20. ↑ Tieman, Ross (30 March 1995). "RJB set to cash in as coal prices soar". The Times. No. 65, 228. p. 23. ISSN   0140-0460.
  21. ↑ "Coal Industry - Hansard". hansard.parliament.uk. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  22. ↑ "Tinseltoon: Billy Elliot". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  23. ↑ "Last deep mine is saved". BBC News. 1 May 2002. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  24. ↑ "Figurine tribute to coal heritage". BBC News. 5 September 2005. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  25. ↑ "Inquiry call into £100m coal cash". BBC News. 31 January 2005. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  26. ↑ Vorster, Gareth (13 March 2008). "Miners bag £2m in compensation over illegal closure of Ellington Colliery". Personnel Today. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  27. ↑ "Symbol of mining is pulled down". BBC News. 17 February 2006. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  28. ↑ O'Connell, Ben (6 December 2018). "Nearly 100 more homes coming to old Ellington Colliery site". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  29. ↑ "Lynemouth Coastal Landfill Feasibility Study" (PDF). northumberland.gov.uk. Royal Haskoning. February 2020. p. 2. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  30. ↑ Cooper, Nick; Benson, Niall; McNeill, Aaron; Siddle, Robin (May 2017). "Changing coastlines in NE England: a legacy of colliery spoil tipping and the effects of its cessation". Proceedings of the Yorkshire Geological Society. 61 (3): 217–229. doi:10.1144/pygs2016-369.
  31. 1 2 3 4 5 "Durham Mining Museum - Ellington Colliery". www.dmm.org.uk. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  32. 1 2 3 4 Ellison 1993, p. 225.
  33. ↑ Hutchinson 1992, p. 182.
  34. 1 2 Tighe, Chris; Smith, Michael (11 December 1993). "Pit cuts stoke closure fears". Financial Times. No. 32, 241. p. 6. ISSN   0307-1766.
  35. ↑ "Ellington". www.minersadvice.co.uk. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  36. ↑ Anon (2019). "Lavery, Ian" . Who's Who . A & C Black. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U251554.(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  37. ↑ "Mines warning". Chronicle Live. 14 October 2005. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  38. ↑ Langdon, Julia (7 August 2011). "Jack Thompson obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 August 2020.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.