Located in what was once the largest pit village in the world, the former colliery is now home to our popular visitor attraction, welcoming thousands of people each year. As part of our heritage work on victorian industry, we visited woodhorn colliery to learn about local mining disasters. Sorry, there are no tours or activities available to book online for the dates you. Northumberlands magic might be found in its landscapes, light, local legends or lore of the land. Gb building solutions, woodhorn colliery project info. You can take in all of the intricacies of the remarkable building from our extensive lawns. Because we are independent from our friends at woodhorn museum, we rely on ticket sales as our only source of revenue. A second shaft was added at the turn of the century and began drawing coal in 1901. It focuses on the mining and social heritage of the area. Woodhorn museum is a museum, heritage colliery site and the home of the northumberland archives. With sound effects, models, paintings, working machinery etc. At its peak almost 2,000 men worked at the pit and 600,000 tons of coal was produced each year.
The town is located some 15 miles 24 km north of newcastle upon tyne and west of the a189. Some of the mine buildings have been retained and are used as a visitor centre. The church was made redundant in 1973 and is now woodhorn church museum. Woodhorn colliery was sunk in 1894 by the ashington coal company. Woodhorn, officially woodhorn museum and northumberland archives and formerly known as woodhorn colliery museum, is located in ashington, northumberland, england. The building, complete with the pit head winding gear is a modern and lively familyfocused museum that can easily compete with many national museums. Ashington is a town with a very interesting and proud history. The site is also home to northumberland archives which houses 800. Design the key design challenge was to create a new building type. Work on the first shaft began on 16th may 1894 and production started in february 1898.
Thirteen men were killed in the disaster, eight of them deputies, they were driving a drift from the low main to the high main. Once part of the largest pit village in the world, woodhorn retains the iconic silhouettes of its mining history, the giant pitwheel, a scheduled ancient monument, now complemented by the strikingly beautiful modern. The mine was a source of employment for people as young as 12 years, who all worked long hours in shifts day and night. Woodhorn colliery and archives, northumberland art uk. With a population of around 27,000, measured at 27,764 at the 2011 census. Woodhorn museum overview about woodhorn museum map woodhorn museum and northumberland archives is located in ashington and based on the site of the former woodhorn colliery 18841981. If you are a uk taxpayer youll be helping to support woodhorn museum and the trust, since we will claim gift aid on your admission, worth. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your.
Here, listed colliery buildings combine with cutting edge 21st century architecture, all bordered by a naturerich country park. Our history museums northumberland woodhorn museum. Woodhorn colliery woodhorn colliery lies in southeast northumberland close to the town of ashington. Woodhorn colliery, ashington museum, northumberland earchitect. Cocurate page woodhorn museum overview about woodhorn museum map woodhorn museum and northumberland archives is located in ashington and based on the site of the former woodhorn colliery 18841981. Ashington currently has a population of approximately 28,000, one of the largest towns in northumberland, and is located 15 miles 24km north of newcastle upon tyne and 3 miles 5km from the north sea coast via the historic coastal town of newbiggin by the sea. For 2020, woodhorn museums open art exhibition invites artists and audiences to explore and share what makes northumberland magical. When the first rescuers reached the scene, they discovered a roof fall about nine yards along the drift. Visit woodhorn museum to explore our colliery heritage site and to experience a fantastic programme. Feb 01, 2020 woodhorn museum in ashington, northumberland is situated in the historic site of woodhorn colliery. Almost 2,000 men and women worked at the woodhorn coal mine, from the sinking of the first shaft in 1894 to the closure of the shafts linking to ashington. A mineral railway was built in the 1980s from the ashington colliery network to the ecml.
The collections contain over 25,000 objects, held across all four of our museums. Woodhorn colliery, ashington museum, northumberland e. Northumberland visitor attractions visit northumberland. Two descendants of the men who died on august, 1916 describe what it meant to their families. You will never be short of stunning sights and unforgettable days out when you visit us. How the woodhorn colliery disaster 100 years ago changed a community. They were made at alnwick, blyth, cramlington and woodhorn. Located in queen elizabeth ii country park, next to entrance past the museum. The site of the old pit is now the location for northumberland record office, a purposebuilt building having been constructed. Museum friends of durham mining museum events calendar ebooks and books for sale. Ashington is a town and civil parish in northumberland, england. The superb woodhorn museum occupies the extensive colliery buildings of woodhorn colliery which operated here from 1894 to 1981. Woodhorn museum in ashington, northumberland is situated in the historic site of woodhorn colliery.
Click here to book a session and for more information about price, dates and times for under fives fridays, relaxed and bsl interpreted. Jul 30, 20 this extensive network ran passenger trains for mineworkers. It was a working pit for more than 80 years, from 1894 until its closure in 1981. The mine has since closed and the site has been landscaped incorporating a lake and known as queen elizabeth ii country park. The woodhorn colliery museum opened in 1989, using the original pit buildings. Family history book, history books, coal miners, end of an era, durham, old and new, banners, photography, life. Ashington hotels book hotels in ashington premier inn. The subject matter is open to interpretation by the artist, so expect the unexpected and to enjoy seeing a diverse. Featuring over 200,000 oil paintings by some 38,000 artists. Convert a 1904 colliery workshops building to flexible gallery space for touring exhibitions, with facilities for exhibition storage, precise environmental control, and catering facitilites for up to 250 persons. The collections in our care include archaeology, architecture, costume and textiles, technology and industry, fine art, decorative arts, library and photographs, musical instruments, social history and natural history. If you choose a trust wide pass, well receive an additional. It is located in the village of woodhorn, 1 mile northwest of newbigginbythesea. Woodhorn colliery, ashington 20 september 1915 exhall colliery, warwickshire 14 exhall 1915 es 25 february 1915 new hem heath, chesterton 12 15 january 1915 minnie pit, podmore hall, staffordshire 9 october 19 universal, senghenydd, glamorgan 439 15 june 19 carr house colliery, rotherham 8 carr house 19 es.
It was the worst accident in the 100year history of the colliery, and you. Woodhorn colliery was the third pit sunk by the ashington coal company. Each region has its own history of exploitation, and characteristic sites range from the small, compact collieries of north somerset to the large, intensive units of the. Originally formed in 1991, we run 3 ex mining locomotives which run over a 1 mile section of track, allowing a fantastic way to experience what it was like to travel like a miner. This property has had some refurbishment works recently completed and is available for viewings now. How the woodhorn colliery disaster 100 years ago changed a. Aug, 2016 how the woodhorn colliery disaster 100 years ago changed a community. This unusual project sought to combine a new county archives with a mining and social history museum on the site of the redundant woodhorn. The museum depicts the lives of coal mine workers and features original buildings and equipment from the former colliery, including the two headframes, a winding house, other engine houses, a steam winding engine, stables, a building. Please telephone 01670 624455 to book before visiting. Old photographs of woodhorn colliery feature in the 128page book, along with details of the many celebrities who have visited the museum since its inception in the late 80s, including tony blair, billy connolly, bill bryson, gloria hunniford and denis waterman. This linocut portrays the winding gear at woodhorn colliery, northumberlan. Ellington colliery was the last deep mine in the north east coalfield, closing in february 2005.
Museums northumberland is the public brand of woodhorn charitable trust registered as a company in england and wales under registration number 6893854 woodhorn charitable trust is registered as a charity number 1129712. The original colliery in the village of woodhorn opened in 1894 and closed in 1981. American newspaper usa today described the wall as better than stonehenge. A 140 sq m corten clad extension to the west of the building was designed to house all mechanical and electrical services, catering and sanitary facilities and storage. The woodhorn colliery closed in the 1980s and has a rich history about the area and the hardships of the miners, which included accidents.
The display of the pitman painters is always worth a look fascinating visit to woodhorn with the family. Mik currently has a kickstarter campaign for his forthcoming book, coal. Using the original pit buildings, the site reopened as a colliery museum in 1989. The south of the town is bordered by the river wansbeck. Woodhorn museum wedding venue ashington, northumberland. Woodhorn colliery winding gear by ieuan edwards my heritage lies in the rhondda valleys, an ex coal mining area of south wales. Woodhorn colliery, ashington 1016976 historic england.
Woodhorn museum ashington 2020 all you need to know. The ashington coal company sunk the first shaft in 1894 and coal was produced there from 1898 to 1981. From a19 take a189 coastal route at cramlington continue on a189 for approx 10 miles. From a1 northsouth follow signs to morpeth then woodhorn colliery museum ashington. Woodhorn museum, ashington news and whats on chroniclelive. Mar 10, 2017 for more than 80 years woodhorn was a coal mine. The working pit woodhorn colliery was the third pit sunk by the ashington coal company. Catalogue of plans of abandoned mines for woodhorn colliery. Woodhorn is a great museum of local history, not just for mining but how people lived and. The pit yard was designated a scheduled ancient monument in 1999. Woodhorn is a great museum of local history, not just for mining but how. Work to sink the first shaft began in 1894 and the first coal was brought to the surface in 1898.
Woodhorn museum history museum in ashington, northumberland. Discover artworks, explore venues and meet artists. The display of the pitman painters is always worth a look read more. The headframes and sheave wheels at woodhorn colliery. Production stopped in 1981 but the shafts continued to be used for neighbouring ashington colliery until 1986. Production stopped in 1981 but the shafts continued to be used for neighbouring ashington colliery. Woodhorn colliery museum is situated in a country park with a 40acre 16 ha lake. Woodhorn, st mary the virgin was built in the early eleventh century but most of the external features are from a restoration of 1842.
Woodhorn is a great museum of local history, not just for mining but how people lived and socialised. Art uk is the online home for every public collection in the uk. No2 winding house and big red jobbie to the left, capell fan motor house and fan house in the centre with no2 headgear and heapstead behind, jack engine house to the right. Woodhorn has preserved its mining history and still features its original giant pitwheel which, in wonderful contrast to the modern cutter building, provides a stunning backdrop for your photos. Woodhorn went into decline in the 1960s because of thin coal seams and the availability of cheaper alternative fuels such as oil and gas. This extensive network ran passenger trains for mineworkers. In 1992 ali rhind was commissioned to produce wall hangings for the new wansbeck hospital entrance. The site is also home to northumberland archives which houses 800 years of history of the county. Of course, theres the world famous hadrians wall, roman britains biggest building project that still dominates the countys landscape almost 2,000 years after it was constructed. The woodhorn colliery, part of the huge ashington coalfield, closed in the early 1980s. A history of the village, colliery, church and museum on. The themes for the hospital decor were earth, wind, sun and sea and four mats were designed on these themes.
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