Friday 1 October 2010
Thursday 30 September 2010
The Church of St Mary the Virgin, Ovingham
From the church leaflet by David Goodacre: Thomas Bewick "was baptised in the church, was a regular worshipper in Ovingham when he was visiting Cherryburn near Mickley and was buried here with the rest of his family."
Cherryburn Visit
"Thomas Bewick (1753–1828), Northumberland's greatest artist, wood engraver and naturalist, was born in the cottage here. The nearby 19th-century farmhouse, the later home of the Bewick family, houses an exhibition on Bewick's life and work and a small shop selling books, gifts and prints from his original wood engravings. Occasional printing demonstrations take place in the adjoining barn. There are splendid views over the Tyne Valley." Source.
Monday 20 September 2010
Thursday 19 August 2010
Thursday 22 July 2010
Light & Dark
With the development of my ideas I have been thinking about the contrast of light and dark as being an important factor to explore. The contrast between the 'complete darkness' implied by the previous industry of coal mining with the lightness of the new building - artists traditionally require good light to work in their studios, computer screens and the RGB colour system are all about light as are televisions and the television and theatre industries require lighting technicians, etc.
Is it possible to bring some darkness into the new building? A darkness that feels at once confining and full of space.
Is it possible to bring some darkness into the new building? A darkness that feels at once confining and full of space.
Monday 28 June 2010
Thursday 24 June 2010
Bewick Horizons
"Acclaimed as an observant and accurate naturalist, an artist of skill, originality and humour, Bewick also found that the more facts he learned, the more he was intrigued by the numinous, the flickering promise beyond the horizon."
'Nature's Engraver' by Jenny Uglow (p313)
'Nature's Engraver' by Jenny Uglow (p313)
Thursday 17 June 2010
Longwall
Bord and pillar mining is not particularly suitable for mining coal at very great depths, because of the size of pillars that have to be left. The main alternative is longwall mining, which has been practised for many years in the deep European mines, particularly in the United Kingdom and West Germany. Two parallel roadways (called 'gates') are driven through the coal seam normally between 200 and 300 metres apart. This distance effectively determines the length of the working face. The two roadways are joined by a drivage in the seam at right angles to them and this forms the working face (or longwall). The roof at the working face is normally supported by hydraulically powered roof supports.
from http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/rep_pub/reports/1982/fulltext/160c02.pdf
from http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/rep_pub/reports/1982/fulltext/160c02.pdf
Pitmatic Notes
More notes from 'Pitmatic' by Bill Griffiths:
p86 There are three grades of coal: lignite, bituminous and anthracite. The Great North East Coalfield is almost exclusively of bituminous coals. 'Bituminous coal - coloured brown to black, is mostly used for industrial purposes'.
p93 'As the seams vary within a coalfield, and can have different local names' the Coal Board assigned letter references to each seam. The start of the alphabet is the shallowest and each subsequent letter gets deeper. So Hutton (L) is near to the surface and Brockwell (S) is deep down.
p95 'Coal seams occur in sedimentary layers, approximate to the ancient land surface on which they were laid down. Horizontal once, they now tilt significantly, being nearer the surface in the north and west of the coalfield, deeper in the east: accordingly the passages in a pit do not proceed on an even plane. With no horizon to compare it with, the incline of a seam and roadway that follows it might not be immediately obvious'.
p102 'As to the extraction of coal, the land-owner has the mineral rights on his property, and could either start mining or issue a lease to someone to do the mining, in return for royalties'.
p86 There are three grades of coal: lignite, bituminous and anthracite. The Great North East Coalfield is almost exclusively of bituminous coals. 'Bituminous coal - coloured brown to black, is mostly used for industrial purposes'.
p93 'As the seams vary within a coalfield, and can have different local names' the Coal Board assigned letter references to each seam. The start of the alphabet is the shallowest and each subsequent letter gets deeper. So Hutton (L) is near to the surface and Brockwell (S) is deep down.
p95 'Coal seams occur in sedimentary layers, approximate to the ancient land surface on which they were laid down. Horizontal once, they now tilt significantly, being nearer the surface in the north and west of the coalfield, deeper in the east: accordingly the passages in a pit do not proceed on an even plane. With no horizon to compare it with, the incline of a seam and roadway that follows it might not be immediately obvious'.
p102 'As to the extraction of coal, the land-owner has the mineral rights on his property, and could either start mining or issue a lease to someone to do the mining, in return for royalties'.
Tuesday 15 June 2010
Sketchbook Progress
A lot of my ideas are springing from the coal industry and this is perhaps only right given the prominent role that the industry has played in the shaping of Prudhoe and the site.
There are strong visual references and evocative descriptions of working life underground and as previously mentioned an analogy between that industry and the one represented in the new building can be drawn.
A new colour palette brings in more strands and now includes gloss black (coal), bright green (landscape), yellow (historic landscape perhaps in the shape of whin blossom) and red for the outline of the Ord/Capper land on the old plans.
Reversing the mine diagram and introducing one of the colours also begins to suggest new ideas.
There are names and words too that anchor ideas to the place.
Next will be a closer look at the education element of the site and in particular the ethos and vision captured in the new building project. At the same time an eye will be kept on opportunities within the development to transfer these ideas.
There are strong visual references and evocative descriptions of working life underground and as previously mentioned an analogy between that industry and the one represented in the new building can be drawn.
A new colour palette brings in more strands and now includes gloss black (coal), bright green (landscape), yellow (historic landscape perhaps in the shape of whin blossom) and red for the outline of the Ord/Capper land on the old plans.
Reversing the mine diagram and introducing one of the colours also begins to suggest new ideas.
There are names and words too that anchor ideas to the place.
Next will be a closer look at the education element of the site and in particular the ethos and vision captured in the new building project. At the same time an eye will be kept on opportunities within the development to transfer these ideas.
Session Notes Thursday 10th June
At the end of this session we summarised the key areas where student interest currently lay and I understand that some of these ideas have been taken a little further. The areas were: wayfinding; portal; furniture; detail; glass/colour and ambient sound.
Below are a few links that may be useful in connection with above (some of which will certainly inform my ideas). There is some great stuff here:
http://www.studiodabbeni.ch/p_espo/tremlett-2009_espo_en.htm
http://designmuseum.org/design/robin-lucienne-day
http://de-war.de/eurekacarpark.html
http://www.themobilecity.nl/2009/03/29/etc....
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/exhibitions/richardlong/rooms/room1.shtm
http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2004/flavin/light/heiner_fs.htm
http://jasonkrugman.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/jamesturrell_at_cosmic_wonder.jpg
http://makingfurnitureinteractive.wordpress.com/category/assignments/exercise-1-what-is/page/2/
Below are a few links that may be useful in connection with above (some of which will certainly inform my ideas). There is some great stuff here:
http://www.studiodabbeni.ch/p_espo/tremlett-2009_espo_en.htm
http://designmuseum.org/design/robin-lucienne-day
http://de-war.de/eurekacarpark.html
http://www.themobilecity.nl/2009/03/29/etc....
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/exhibitions/richardlong/rooms/room1.shtm
http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2004/flavin/light/heiner_fs.htm
http://jasonkrugman.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/jamesturrell_at_cosmic_wonder.jpg
http://makingfurnitureinteractive.wordpress.com/category/assignments/exercise-1-what-is/page/2/
Religion
Another as yet undiscussed strand of our story is religion. The school is seen by some as the Methodist's School and its very existence on this site owes much to Alderman the Rev. R.E. Robson.
Earlier than this though we have several records of John Wesley coming to Prudhoe to preach and there is a stone just down the road from the school that commemorates this fact. Wesley came in 1757 to lay the foundation stone of the Methodist Chapel and he made further visits in 1761, 1769 and 1782.
Earlier than this though we have several records of John Wesley coming to Prudhoe to preach and there is a stone just down the road from the school that commemorates this fact. Wesley came in 1757 to lay the foundation stone of the Methodist Chapel and he made further visits in 1761, 1769 and 1782.
Changing Landscape
Today our site is on green belt land - the junction between the built environment and the more natural landscape. As we know it wasn't always so and until relatively recently coal mining was making a huge impact upon the landscape around Prudhoe. Now though the fields have been re-instated and the lark sings above them.
But this wasn't always the type of landscape that people knew and appreciated and Uglow in Nature's Engraver has some useful insights into how the landscape along the ridge here once looked and how it was valued by Thomas Bewick and his like.
The open land was common land, land for the poor to keep some livestock on and collect firewood. They would build shelters and occasionally fence off small plots to grow vegetables on or build rough shelters on. Further off Bewick longed to be among the 'golden whins and bracken of the fells'. But this openness was about to change...
"In 1775 the land Bewick loved himself was under threat. On 8 February the [Newcastle] Courant printed a notice of the proposed enclosure of Falcherside, Rise-moor, Mickley Moor and Prudhoe Moor, on the petition of the Duke of Northumberland, Lord of the Manor and others. Bewick mourned the loss of fells and wild spaces. 'The poor man was rooted out', he wrote later of enclosure, 'and the various mechanics of the village deprived of all the benefit of it'."
Town and country overlapped in Bewick's time Newcastle had open spaces and orchards and places like Eltringham, Mickley and Prudhoe had industry. Bewick's family was part of this and the influence was hidden underground. Coal had been mined here on a small scale since the 1400s (or earlier) and Bewick's grandfather 'had rented collieries on Eltringham Common and at Mickley Square' since 1715. Coal mining was very much part of the rural scene although Bewick's sympathy probably didn't extend to one entrepreneurs wish to make Eltringham the 'new Birmingham'.
But this wasn't always the type of landscape that people knew and appreciated and Uglow in Nature's Engraver has some useful insights into how the landscape along the ridge here once looked and how it was valued by Thomas Bewick and his like.
The open land was common land, land for the poor to keep some livestock on and collect firewood. They would build shelters and occasionally fence off small plots to grow vegetables on or build rough shelters on. Further off Bewick longed to be among the 'golden whins and bracken of the fells'. But this openness was about to change...
"In 1775 the land Bewick loved himself was under threat. On 8 February the [Newcastle] Courant printed a notice of the proposed enclosure of Falcherside, Rise-moor, Mickley Moor and Prudhoe Moor, on the petition of the Duke of Northumberland, Lord of the Manor and others. Bewick mourned the loss of fells and wild spaces. 'The poor man was rooted out', he wrote later of enclosure, 'and the various mechanics of the village deprived of all the benefit of it'."
Town and country overlapped in Bewick's time Newcastle had open spaces and orchards and places like Eltringham, Mickley and Prudhoe had industry. Bewick's family was part of this and the influence was hidden underground. Coal had been mined here on a small scale since the 1400s (or earlier) and Bewick's grandfather 'had rented collieries on Eltringham Common and at Mickley Square' since 1715. Coal mining was very much part of the rural scene although Bewick's sympathy probably didn't extend to one entrepreneurs wish to make Eltringham the 'new Birmingham'.
Land Ownership Summary
The early days of the site are difficult to pin down but a couple of books have helped to outline the situation: Dodd's 'History of Northumberland Vol. XII' (1926) and 'Nature's Engraver' by Jenny Uglow, her 2006 life of Thomas Bewick.
Early documents talk of the Umfraville's of Prudhoe Castle. Stockdale's survey of 1586 mentions tenants owning 40 acres at the south of Prudhoe called 'Back of the Hill'. Possible our site. In 1622 William Orde talks of improvements to the land and a rent paid to the Earl of Northumberland. In the mid 17th century William Fenwick of London held much land in the area and in 1649 began to negotiate with tenants and freeholders for the division of the common fields. Frances Orde of Prudhoe Castle was also involved in the negotiations which weren't realised until the late 1650s. (Dodd)
Throughout this time the region was more interested in battles with Scotland than alliances with London and the land ownership was under constant flux due to fighting. The area suffered from the reiver raids and in the Civil War. Religious loyalty also played a major part and the Catholic families suffered as in the case of John Fenwick of Bywell who was executed in 1696. (Uglow)
William Fenwick died in 1679 and the family connection with Prudhoe had ended by 1715. This is possibly the point at which the land left the ownership of the Fenwicks and passed to the Ord(e)s. A 1675 Hearth tax record has Mr W. Orde liable for four hearths although. At some point our site appears to have become part of the Hunstanworth estate which in 1720 passed from John Ord of Fenham, Newcastle to his son Ralph. Ralph died unmarried and passed his land to his brother Robert. Robert held a number of high profile posts in his life and when he died in 1778 his estate passed to his only son John.
John Ord died on 6th June 1810 and his estate passed to his nephew Robert Capper of Garston Hertfordshire (and at some point of Newbiggin near Blanchland). Robert died in 1851 and was succeeded by his only son the Reverend Daniel Capper of Lyston Court, Herefordshire. It seems that in the 1860s the Reverend Daniel was breaking up his estate and it may be (despite the 1895 Tithe map) that he sold to Liddell's coal company.
Early documents talk of the Umfraville's of Prudhoe Castle. Stockdale's survey of 1586 mentions tenants owning 40 acres at the south of Prudhoe called 'Back of the Hill'. Possible our site. In 1622 William Orde talks of improvements to the land and a rent paid to the Earl of Northumberland. In the mid 17th century William Fenwick of London held much land in the area and in 1649 began to negotiate with tenants and freeholders for the division of the common fields. Frances Orde of Prudhoe Castle was also involved in the negotiations which weren't realised until the late 1650s. (Dodd)
Throughout this time the region was more interested in battles with Scotland than alliances with London and the land ownership was under constant flux due to fighting. The area suffered from the reiver raids and in the Civil War. Religious loyalty also played a major part and the Catholic families suffered as in the case of John Fenwick of Bywell who was executed in 1696. (Uglow)
William Fenwick died in 1679 and the family connection with Prudhoe had ended by 1715. This is possibly the point at which the land left the ownership of the Fenwicks and passed to the Ord(e)s. A 1675 Hearth tax record has Mr W. Orde liable for four hearths although. At some point our site appears to have become part of the Hunstanworth estate which in 1720 passed from John Ord of Fenham, Newcastle to his son Ralph. Ralph died unmarried and passed his land to his brother Robert. Robert held a number of high profile posts in his life and when he died in 1778 his estate passed to his only son John.
John Ord died on 6th June 1810 and his estate passed to his nephew Robert Capper of Garston Hertfordshire (and at some point of Newbiggin near Blanchland). Robert died in 1851 and was succeeded by his only son the Reverend Daniel Capper of Lyston Court, Herefordshire. It seems that in the 1860s the Reverend Daniel was breaking up his estate and it may be (despite the 1895 Tithe map) that he sold to Liddell's coal company.
Northumberland Archives
A trip to Northumberland Archives at Woodhorn has uncovered some wonderful details and helped to confirm pieces in the story of the school site. In chronological order:
A Plan of Prudhoe in the Parish of Ovingham' by F Thompson, surveyed 1766 (ZAN BELL 41/7) has the site land owned by John Ord.
Armstrong's Map of 1769 shows Prudhoe as a village at a crossroads with probably Highfield Lane and the track to the east marked. A 1780 Award and Plan (QRA 23/1) has the site land belonging to John Ord Esq. and is further labeled 'Prudhoe Grounds'. The site of the present day school gate and proposed entrance to the new building is marked as 'Foul Sike Gate'. Park Lane is called 'Intake Lane', South Road 'Drawback Lane', Redwell Road 'Water Lane'. In the area of Moor Grange development is another gate on to the open land called 'Reins Gate'. Elsewhere land is owned principally by the Duke of Northumberland but there are also small plots owned by Swalwell, Pattison, Bates, Johnson, and Forster.
In 1781 Thomas Wilkin produced a plan (NRO 341) for the Duke of Northumberland. This is a beautifully and meticulously produced document with lovely details in the drawing. The site land still belongs to John Ord and the fields (very similar to today's) are called 'Low Broom' where the new building will be and the southern part of the present school with the rest of the school falling into 'Towers Close'. 'Reins Gate' is circumscribed with yellow ink and noted as having been 'alloted to Mr Ord at the Division of the Common'. The long field to the west of the site is called 'Coat [or] Coal Walls'.
Fryer's map of 1820 and Greenwood's map of 1828 are at a larger scale but begin to add detail to Prudhoe. Fryer notes a few more houses and the triangle roads of Drawback. Greenwood has the track around the site (today's bridleway) marked and continuing to Durham Riding. A wood is marked at Nanny's Nursery but it is not named. The track originally went along the line of today's service drive and turning left when it reached the next hedge line.
A plan dated 1842-3 (ZAN BELL 41/11) names 'Nanny's Nursery'. The track to Durham Riding is marked and is labeled 'Little Lane' on the other side of Bell's Hill. 'A Hovel' is marked near the site entrance and the land (all outlined in red) is under the ownership of Robert Capper Esquire and Rev. Daniel Capper. ZAN BELL 41/13 from 1843 illustrates neighbouring land but has at its edge a note that Rev. D. Capper owns the adjoining land.
Bell's Royalty Plan of 1861 (NRO 438/G/Z) has the land under the ownership of 'Rev. Daniel Capper' still. The Duke of Northumberland is still the other major landowner and smaller landowners include Joseph John Humble, Wrightson and A. Bell. The line of the western outcrop of the Great Northern Coal Field is marked looping around to the north and west of Prudhoe and Mickley. The '90 Fathom Dyke' runs WSW/ENE on the far side of Bell's Hill. There is a reference to coal 'royalty' ownership on land near Durham Riding between the Duke and Capper.
An undated plan (ZAN BELL 41/15g) has the land owner marked as 'Estate of Robert Capper Esquire' with 'Robert' crossed out in pencil and corrected to 'Revd. Daniel'. So there is some confusion here to the order of things. The 1895 Tithe map (EP 102/92) has all the land relevant to out investigations under the ownership of 'Robert Capper Esquire'. The land is occupied by 'William Johnson as part of 'Prudhoe Hall Farm & Premises' - today's Grange - totaling 441 acres with an annual rent of £57 6s 6d payable to the Duke and £12 18s 4d payable to Charles William Bigge Esquire. These rents were paid in lieu of tithe.
William Johnson's interest doesn't appear to be in the farming of the land as he is recoded as working seams of coal under Capper's land and exploiting the associated clay to make bricks and tiles with an output of 250,000 annually in the second half of the 19th century.
Part of Document ZNI 13 from 1850 is the lease between Capper and Johnson for 42 years from 31st December 1840 for a 'certain rent' of £50 after the first two years. By 1852 the coal seam he was working under Capper's land was exhausted and Mr. Johnson applied to work the seams under the Duke's land.
This lease to Johnson is a continuation of Capper's leasing out of coal rights on his land. We know that earlier he had been leasing to Christopher Blackett and making a good income from it as he was paid £776 15s 2d for 'coals in the Prudhoe Royalty' for 1842. In document ZBK/C/1/B/2/35/2 we find out why Blackett is paying Mr. Capper. Blackett's agent reports in a letter of 1836 "I am still going on with the exploring Drifts in Lord Prudhoe's Coal, if the coal continues as it has done I shall put through to Mr Capper's Royalty so as to be in a situation to work it...".
Moving a little nearer to today Kelly's Directory for 1902, 1921 and 1925 describe the scene in Prudhoe: 'there is little cultivated land here; in many instances the rock crops up in huge masses above the surface of the soil.'
A Plan of Prudhoe in the Parish of Ovingham' by F Thompson, surveyed 1766 (ZAN BELL 41/7) has the site land owned by John Ord.
Armstrong's Map of 1769 shows Prudhoe as a village at a crossroads with probably Highfield Lane and the track to the east marked. A 1780 Award and Plan (QRA 23/1) has the site land belonging to John Ord Esq. and is further labeled 'Prudhoe Grounds'. The site of the present day school gate and proposed entrance to the new building is marked as 'Foul Sike Gate'. Park Lane is called 'Intake Lane', South Road 'Drawback Lane', Redwell Road 'Water Lane'. In the area of Moor Grange development is another gate on to the open land called 'Reins Gate'. Elsewhere land is owned principally by the Duke of Northumberland but there are also small plots owned by Swalwell, Pattison, Bates, Johnson, and Forster.
In 1781 Thomas Wilkin produced a plan (NRO 341) for the Duke of Northumberland. This is a beautifully and meticulously produced document with lovely details in the drawing. The site land still belongs to John Ord and the fields (very similar to today's) are called 'Low Broom' where the new building will be and the southern part of the present school with the rest of the school falling into 'Towers Close'. 'Reins Gate' is circumscribed with yellow ink and noted as having been 'alloted to Mr Ord at the Division of the Common'. The long field to the west of the site is called 'Coat [or] Coal Walls'.
Fryer's map of 1820 and Greenwood's map of 1828 are at a larger scale but begin to add detail to Prudhoe. Fryer notes a few more houses and the triangle roads of Drawback. Greenwood has the track around the site (today's bridleway) marked and continuing to Durham Riding. A wood is marked at Nanny's Nursery but it is not named. The track originally went along the line of today's service drive and turning left when it reached the next hedge line.
A plan dated 1842-3 (ZAN BELL 41/11) names 'Nanny's Nursery'. The track to Durham Riding is marked and is labeled 'Little Lane' on the other side of Bell's Hill. 'A Hovel' is marked near the site entrance and the land (all outlined in red) is under the ownership of Robert Capper Esquire and Rev. Daniel Capper. ZAN BELL 41/13 from 1843 illustrates neighbouring land but has at its edge a note that Rev. D. Capper owns the adjoining land.
Bell's Royalty Plan of 1861 (NRO 438/G/Z) has the land under the ownership of 'Rev. Daniel Capper' still. The Duke of Northumberland is still the other major landowner and smaller landowners include Joseph John Humble, Wrightson and A. Bell. The line of the western outcrop of the Great Northern Coal Field is marked looping around to the north and west of Prudhoe and Mickley. The '90 Fathom Dyke' runs WSW/ENE on the far side of Bell's Hill. There is a reference to coal 'royalty' ownership on land near Durham Riding between the Duke and Capper.
An undated plan (ZAN BELL 41/15g) has the land owner marked as 'Estate of Robert Capper Esquire' with 'Robert' crossed out in pencil and corrected to 'Revd. Daniel'. So there is some confusion here to the order of things. The 1895 Tithe map (EP 102/92) has all the land relevant to out investigations under the ownership of 'Robert Capper Esquire'. The land is occupied by 'William Johnson as part of 'Prudhoe Hall Farm & Premises' - today's Grange - totaling 441 acres with an annual rent of £57 6s 6d payable to the Duke and £12 18s 4d payable to Charles William Bigge Esquire. These rents were paid in lieu of tithe.
William Johnson's interest doesn't appear to be in the farming of the land as he is recoded as working seams of coal under Capper's land and exploiting the associated clay to make bricks and tiles with an output of 250,000 annually in the second half of the 19th century.
Part of Document ZNI 13 from 1850 is the lease between Capper and Johnson for 42 years from 31st December 1840 for a 'certain rent' of £50 after the first two years. By 1852 the coal seam he was working under Capper's land was exhausted and Mr. Johnson applied to work the seams under the Duke's land.
This lease to Johnson is a continuation of Capper's leasing out of coal rights on his land. We know that earlier he had been leasing to Christopher Blackett and making a good income from it as he was paid £776 15s 2d for 'coals in the Prudhoe Royalty' for 1842. In document ZBK/C/1/B/2/35/2 we find out why Blackett is paying Mr. Capper. Blackett's agent reports in a letter of 1836 "I am still going on with the exploring Drifts in Lord Prudhoe's Coal, if the coal continues as it has done I shall put through to Mr Capper's Royalty so as to be in a situation to work it...".
Moving a little nearer to today Kelly's Directory for 1902, 1921 and 1925 describe the scene in Prudhoe: 'there is little cultivated land here; in many instances the rock crops up in huge masses above the surface of the soil.'
NEIMME
Notes from a visit to the North East Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers, Westgate Road, Newcastle:
The 1906 Geological Survey map clearly shows Prudhoe towards the NW limit of the coal measures.
The 1868 Geological Survey map has some interesting details with the outline of the Low Main Coal seam and Ruler seam marked. The note for Low Main indicates that the coal is 9 fathoms down from the surface. There is also a line highlighted by hand crossing the site of the new building which is marked '30 feet' I believe that this indicates a fault in the coal seam. At the bottom right-hand corner a 'pit' is marked. This is probably the old Mill Moss boring.
A Handbook entitled 'The Coals of Northumberland and Cumberland' published by the National Coal Board in 1957 (Y410.16NCB) highlights the confusion that can arise when trying to identify coal seams across a wide area:
In the same document the output for West Wylam (Mickley) including Hedley is detailed for this period. This is probably the workings that included the opencast present on the school site, and workings below the site. The mine was producing several types of coal: deep sea bunkers; screened loco; untreated steam small; washed steam small; washed coking small; slurry and workmens. For 1956 there was a total output of 333,333 tons of coal. There was a combination of Longwall and Room & Pillar working in this colliery.
Document JBA/1/831 is a letter from JB ATKINSON to J Willis in the 1880s and in it he describes the mining methods employed at Mickley, Prudhoe and West Wylam. He goes on to give more detail about life underground: ..."all the coal is worked by naked lights. The coal is not liable to generate gas unless heated [...] it is not liable to spontaneous combustion."
Even further back Doc. NRO 3410/ZA/11/246 lists coal seams recorded up to 1750 in the Prudhoe area including: "Geo. Stoker, Robt. Roseby and several others say there is an outburst of coal and a Grove in a Close called Horse Close on the Nr.[?] side of Mr. Ords Prudhoe Ground of 2 feet high with a [?] roof and they say they think the other 3 seams of coal found in [?] are below it:- they further say there is an outburst of coal in the lane between Mr. Ords Prudhoe Hall & Edgewell House and another outburst of coal in a dyke gutter 100 yards So. Mr. [?] Edgewell House."
Mr Ord's Hall is the building today called the Grange at the junction of Moor Road and Highfield Lane. This 'outburst' is probably on the site of the present day cemetery along Highfield Lane and may be connected with the 'shake holes' seen in the fields west of the school on my walk around the school site.
Finally from NEIMME Doc. NRO 3410/Bud/58/135 is a lease between Christopher Blackett and Robert Capper for 'all the coal mines seam and seams of coal situated lying under and being within and under all the Freehold Lands and Grounds of the said Robert Capper Esquire in the Township of Prudhoe'. The term of the lease is for 32 years from 1st January 1836.
The 1906 Geological Survey map clearly shows Prudhoe towards the NW limit of the coal measures.
The 1868 Geological Survey map has some interesting details with the outline of the Low Main Coal seam and Ruler seam marked. The note for Low Main indicates that the coal is 9 fathoms down from the surface. There is also a line highlighted by hand crossing the site of the new building which is marked '30 feet' I believe that this indicates a fault in the coal seam. At the bottom right-hand corner a 'pit' is marked. This is probably the old Mill Moss boring.
A Handbook entitled 'The Coals of Northumberland and Cumberland' published by the National Coal Board in 1957 (Y410.16NCB) highlights the confusion that can arise when trying to identify coal seams across a wide area:
In the same document the output for West Wylam (Mickley) including Hedley is detailed for this period. This is probably the workings that included the opencast present on the school site, and workings below the site. The mine was producing several types of coal: deep sea bunkers; screened loco; untreated steam small; washed steam small; washed coking small; slurry and workmens. For 1956 there was a total output of 333,333 tons of coal. There was a combination of Longwall and Room & Pillar working in this colliery.
Document JBA/1/831 is a letter from JB ATKINSON to J Willis in the 1880s and in it he describes the mining methods employed at Mickley, Prudhoe and West Wylam. He goes on to give more detail about life underground: ..."all the coal is worked by naked lights. The coal is not liable to generate gas unless heated [...] it is not liable to spontaneous combustion."
Even further back Doc. NRO 3410/ZA/11/246 lists coal seams recorded up to 1750 in the Prudhoe area including: "Geo. Stoker, Robt. Roseby and several others say there is an outburst of coal and a Grove in a Close called Horse Close on the Nr.[?] side of Mr. Ords Prudhoe Ground of 2 feet high with a [?] roof and they say they think the other 3 seams of coal found in [?] are below it:- they further say there is an outburst of coal in the lane between Mr. Ords Prudhoe Hall & Edgewell House and another outburst of coal in a dyke gutter 100 yards So. Mr. [?] Edgewell House."
Mr Ord's Hall is the building today called the Grange at the junction of Moor Road and Highfield Lane. This 'outburst' is probably on the site of the present day cemetery along Highfield Lane and may be connected with the 'shake holes' seen in the fields west of the school on my walk around the school site.
Finally from NEIMME Doc. NRO 3410/Bud/58/135 is a lease between Christopher Blackett and Robert Capper for 'all the coal mines seam and seams of coal situated lying under and being within and under all the Freehold Lands and Grounds of the said Robert Capper Esquire in the Township of Prudhoe'. The term of the lease is for 32 years from 1st January 1836.
Monday 14 June 2010
Coal Mining Dialect and Technical Words
gate | goaf | stook | take | mine | colliery | delf | back-by | in-by | out-bye | longwall | bord | headway | crosscut | lines & strings | course | cleat | bordwise | headwise | face | nook | pillar | win
Virtual Working
"Northumberland and Durham Coalfield. Area, 460 square miles; length from north to south, 50 miles; breadth, 23 miles at widest part; thickness of workable coal, 46 feet; number of seams, 16 to 20; probable available quantity of coal, 2,867,307,000 tons. This old and important coalfield stretches over the greater portion of the counties of Northumberland and Durham. It extends from the River Coquet in the north to Staindrop in the south; and from Ponteland and Wolsingham in the west to the North Sea on the east." James Tonge (1906) 'The Principles and Practice of Coal Mining' quoted in 'Pitmatic' by Bill Griffiths
There is something about the scale of the coalfield and the fact that most of it is invisible, unknown to those on the surface that creates an analogy between coal mining and the work of the new college facility. Both, to a certain extent, are dealing with the virtual and the hidden - coal underground and computer signals along an optic cable or similar. There is also the geographic extent of the same coalfield (seams) with separate collieries mining down into it complementing the fact that the new building will represent distinct locations that are brought together by a commonality.
Otherwise the comparison becomes more about contrast = clean/dirty, dark/light, enclosed/spacious, etc.
There is something about the scale of the coalfield and the fact that most of it is invisible, unknown to those on the surface that creates an analogy between coal mining and the work of the new college facility. Both, to a certain extent, are dealing with the virtual and the hidden - coal underground and computer signals along an optic cable or similar. There is also the geographic extent of the same coalfield (seams) with separate collieries mining down into it complementing the fact that the new building will represent distinct locations that are brought together by a commonality.
Otherwise the comparison becomes more about contrast = clean/dirty, dark/light, enclosed/spacious, etc.
A Commanding Position
Extract from an article about the background to the building of Prudhoe County Secondary School:
"... a site was chosen across the river at Ovingham which, although excellent from an architect's point of view, would have been far from convenient for the majority of the pupils-to-be. When, at long last, through the nagging persistence of the Education Committee and by the grace of the Ministry, the time came to build a school, search was made for another site and one was found where it ought to be - in Prudhoe itself, albeit, becaus eof the physical conditions of slope, rock and former underground workings, a very difficult and an expensive site to develop."
"The school occupies a commanding position high on the Southern side of the river Tyne, looking over the township of Prudhoe to the wooded and agricultural landscape of the Northern side. The steep slope and the narrowness of that portion of the site which is sufficiently stable to bear the weight of a large structure made it difficult to plan the building but a triumph of ingenuity on the architect's part has resulted in an impressive and wholly delightful school. The configuration of the land and the large amount of rock close to the surface made it almost impossible to lay out playing fields except by terracing at a fabulous cost. This latter problem, however, has been partly solved with the ready and most helpful co-operation of the National Coal Board which has partly enabled the Education Committee to acquire a playing field on land [...] which is being restored after open-cast working and to use surplus spoil from this field to level other parts."
"The building is of steel-framed construction, with brick infill rendered with 'Stonite' on the exterior face; the natural stone used in the plinth course, quoin stones, entrance, and gable details is from the Springwell Quarries; the panel over the main entrance is of Broughton Moor olive green slate."
" A considerable number of the children will come from a distance and the school will consequently play a significant part in a wide community [...] and in drawing together children, young persons and adults from the Urban District of Prudhoe and from nearby villages it will tend to create a common loyalty and a sense of social unity throughout a considerable area on both banks of the Tyne."
"The school was designed and erected under the supervision of MR. C.C. BROWN A.R.I.B.A., County Architect, MR. J.S. HOGG, A.R.I.B.A., Deputy County Architect and MR. P. KEIR, Assistant Architect.
The Consulting Engineers for the structural work were MESSRS. L.G. MOUCHEL & PARTNERS, LTD., Newcastle-upon-Tyne; for the heating, electrical and water installations, MESSRS. CAIRNS & BYLES, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
The Quantity Surveyors were MESSRS. J.W. SUMMERS & PARTNERS, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
The General Contractors were MESSRS. MIDDLEMISS BROS. LTD., Newcastle-upon-Tyne, whose general foreman was MR. D. IRVING.
The Clerk of Works was MR. J. Campbell."
"... a site was chosen across the river at Ovingham which, although excellent from an architect's point of view, would have been far from convenient for the majority of the pupils-to-be. When, at long last, through the nagging persistence of the Education Committee and by the grace of the Ministry, the time came to build a school, search was made for another site and one was found where it ought to be - in Prudhoe itself, albeit, becaus eof the physical conditions of slope, rock and former underground workings, a very difficult and an expensive site to develop."
"The school occupies a commanding position high on the Southern side of the river Tyne, looking over the township of Prudhoe to the wooded and agricultural landscape of the Northern side. The steep slope and the narrowness of that portion of the site which is sufficiently stable to bear the weight of a large structure made it difficult to plan the building but a triumph of ingenuity on the architect's part has resulted in an impressive and wholly delightful school. The configuration of the land and the large amount of rock close to the surface made it almost impossible to lay out playing fields except by terracing at a fabulous cost. This latter problem, however, has been partly solved with the ready and most helpful co-operation of the National Coal Board which has partly enabled the Education Committee to acquire a playing field on land [...] which is being restored after open-cast working and to use surplus spoil from this field to level other parts."
"The building is of steel-framed construction, with brick infill rendered with 'Stonite' on the exterior face; the natural stone used in the plinth course, quoin stones, entrance, and gable details is from the Springwell Quarries; the panel over the main entrance is of Broughton Moor olive green slate."
" A considerable number of the children will come from a distance and the school will consequently play a significant part in a wide community [...] and in drawing together children, young persons and adults from the Urban District of Prudhoe and from nearby villages it will tend to create a common loyalty and a sense of social unity throughout a considerable area on both banks of the Tyne."
"The school was designed and erected under the supervision of MR. C.C. BROWN A.R.I.B.A., County Architect, MR. J.S. HOGG, A.R.I.B.A., Deputy County Architect and MR. P. KEIR, Assistant Architect.
The Consulting Engineers for the structural work were MESSRS. L.G. MOUCHEL & PARTNERS, LTD., Newcastle-upon-Tyne; for the heating, electrical and water installations, MESSRS. CAIRNS & BYLES, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
The Quantity Surveyors were MESSRS. J.W. SUMMERS & PARTNERS, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
The General Contractors were MESSRS. MIDDLEMISS BROS. LTD., Newcastle-upon-Tyne, whose general foreman was MR. D. IRVING.
The Clerk of Works was MR. J. Campbell."
Thursday 10 June 2010
On Bell's Hill
I took a walk around the land to the south and west of the school site last Thursday afternoon. It helps to put the site into context and it is also useful to have some of the research in mind when looking at the landscape.
First thing to note is the hedges. A lot of the hedges are fairly recently planted yet lie along the lines of the historic field patterns. This must be where the hedges have been replaced as the land was re-instated following the opencast mining that happened here. By looking for the new hedges it is easy to see the extent of the mining activity.
Close to the site is Nanny's Nursery - a narrow strip of trees (large oak and beech mainly) that continue the hedge line over the brow of the hill. There are a lot of larger boulders amongst the grass here which belong to the natural geology of the place - a rough sandstone I think. I found coal here too - maybe a co-incidence but surely this is left from the mitigation work done after the mining.
The weather wasn't great but it was nice to be out amongst the Spring landscape with vetches and cow parsley flowering and larks and swallows in the sky above. A contrast to the work that will happen on site and the technology that will be employed there. The hills to the south where lit up by hedges and fields of gorse, probably what this hill would have looked like once upon a time but today the fields are given over to wheat, mustard, sheep and cows.
I carried on further round the back of Bell's Hill and dropped down to Highfield Road before walking back up the hill beside the school. A field to the right here still bears the scars of older mining activity - the 'shake holes' of the early edition OS maps. The tyre marks on the grass help identify the folds of the land.
A walk like this really helps to enforce the rural context of the site. Newcastle is clear to the east but in all other directions it is fields and woods with houses and roads dotted about. From up on the hill looking north you could be fooled into thinking that the area isn't particularly hilly but when you look at a map you realise that the valleys run east-west which helps to lose the hills into the landscape. This walk also forces home the significance of green in my thoughts for this project.
First thing to note is the hedges. A lot of the hedges are fairly recently planted yet lie along the lines of the historic field patterns. This must be where the hedges have been replaced as the land was re-instated following the opencast mining that happened here. By looking for the new hedges it is easy to see the extent of the mining activity.
Close to the site is Nanny's Nursery - a narrow strip of trees (large oak and beech mainly) that continue the hedge line over the brow of the hill. There are a lot of larger boulders amongst the grass here which belong to the natural geology of the place - a rough sandstone I think. I found coal here too - maybe a co-incidence but surely this is left from the mitigation work done after the mining.The weather wasn't great but it was nice to be out amongst the Spring landscape with vetches and cow parsley flowering and larks and swallows in the sky above. A contrast to the work that will happen on site and the technology that will be employed there. The hills to the south where lit up by hedges and fields of gorse, probably what this hill would have looked like once upon a time but today the fields are given over to wheat, mustard, sheep and cows.
I carried on further round the back of Bell's Hill and dropped down to Highfield Road before walking back up the hill beside the school. A field to the right here still bears the scars of older mining activity - the 'shake holes' of the early edition OS maps. The tyre marks on the grass help identify the folds of the land.
A walk like this really helps to enforce the rural context of the site. Newcastle is clear to the east but in all other directions it is fields and woods with houses and roads dotted about. From up on the hill looking north you could be fooled into thinking that the area isn't particularly hilly but when you look at a map you realise that the valleys run east-west which helps to lose the hills into the landscape. This walk also forces home the significance of green in my thoughts for this project.
Wednesday 9 June 2010
Session on Thursday 10th June
Hello,
Tomorrow will be a fairly loosely organised session. We will start with looking at some of the things you have noticed around your current school and surroundings and also discuss school design in general. I then want to open things out to look at a range of possible ways in which you can make a mark in the new building while the design is still in development or later as part of an ongoing programme of activities.
It could be big, small, permanent, temporary, virtual, etc. Don't feel constrained at the moment.
In the meantime a few links for you to look at if you get time to start to give you some thoughts about media, placement, scale, etc.:
http://www.imagineschooldesign.org
http://www.publicartonline.org.uk/casestudies/education/dalryprimaryschool/images.php
http://www.ginkgoprojects.co.uk/projects/?id=1094
http://www.ginkgoprojects.co.uk/projects/?id=1077
http://www.ginkgoprojects.co.uk/projects/?id=1048
See you Thursday,
Stuart
Monday 7 June 2010
Further Horizons
From 'The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary":
Horizon
5. Geol. A plane of stratification assumed to have been once horizontal and continuous; a stratum characterized by particular fossils 1856.
From http://www.bgs.ac.uk/ukgeoscience/horizonscanning.html
Horizon Scanning
Horizon scanning is a key tool in futures thinking that assists:
Reviewing a broad spectrum of information, beyond usual timescales and sources. Use reading material and other media as sources of insights for the group.
Drawing insights from participants
Identifying future challenges and trends
Horizon
5. Geol. A plane of stratification assumed to have been once horizontal and continuous; a stratum characterized by particular fossils 1856.
From http://www.bgs.ac.uk/ukgeoscience/horizonscanning.html
Horizon Scanning
Horizon scanning is a key tool in futures thinking that assists:
Reviewing a broad spectrum of information, beyond usual timescales and sources. Use reading material and other media as sources of insights for the group.
Drawing insights from participants
Identifying future challenges and trends
Thursday 3 June 2010
Mining on (under) the site
There has been extensive coal extraction from the site over the last 150 years or so.
Starting with the shallowest the following seams have been mined and totally extracted from the around the site (year in brackets = approximate date of activity):
Hutton (1950s) c. 10m below site
Harvey (1945) c. 110m below site
Tilley (1940) c. 112m below site
Top Busty
Bottom Busty (prior to 1910)
Three Quarter (1890s?)
Brockwell (1900)
The Hutton seam was extracted using the opencast technique whilst the others were all underground.
The site of the new creative media centre is marked with the red dot on the Coal Board's plan of the Harvey Seam. The hatched area is coal fully extracted and the grids of lines are areas of 'room and pillar' extraction.
Starting with the shallowest the following seams have been mined and totally extracted from the around the site (year in brackets = approximate date of activity):
Hutton (1950s) c. 10m below site
Harvey (1945) c. 110m below site
Tilley (1940) c. 112m below site
Top Busty
Bottom Busty (prior to 1910)
Three Quarter (1890s?)
Brockwell (1900)
The Hutton seam was extracted using the opencast technique whilst the others were all underground.
The site of the new creative media centre is marked with the red dot on the Coal Board's plan of the Harvey Seam. The hatched area is coal fully extracted and the grids of lines are areas of 'room and pillar' extraction.
Birds
The countryside just to the south of the site seems a good place to spot raptors with kestrels, sparrowhawks, red kites, common buzzards and honey buzzards all spotted there in recent times.
Mining Methods
Opencast mining for coal as we know it today started in 1942 as a wartime expedient. To boost vitally needed coal output, surface mining became the responsibility of the Mines Department of the Board of Trade and was carried on by the Ministry of Works until 1945, then by the Ministry of Fuel and Power.
In 1952 the National Coal Board, now British Coal Corporation, was given responsibility for opencast coal production and the Opencast Executive was established.
In the early years opencast operations were limited by the size of the excavating plant then available. Maximum depths were only about 10 metres and ratios of strata above the seams — overburden — to coal were restricted to about 5 to 1. Over the years, however, there were substantial increases in the size of plant and by 1948 the maximum depth of excavation had increased to 30 metres.http://www.dmm.org.uk/history/ocast00.htm
Room & pillar, pillar & stall, and board & pillar are the name variations of partial extraction mining. A method of mining in which roadways are driven into the coal seam, usually at right angles to each so that the seam is divided into a large number of pillars.
This system is preferred for thick seams where surface subsidence is to be avoided and for the exploitation of shallow deposits due to the high percentage extraction obtained; the pillars may be extracted as a separate operation known as stopping.
http://www.energy.eu/dictionary/data/1583.html
Wednesday 2 June 2010
Hedges
Despite the fact that the hedge lines today are very similar to 160 years ago the hedges that bound the site are not particularly old - another clue that the site has been remodeled following coal extraction.
Approximate lines of historic field boundaries and track (dotted) overlaid onto proposed scheme. Note the area of trees at the new site entrance has long been wooded.
Mickley Coal Company
The Mickley Coal Company was established some time prior to 1850 by Liddell & Cookson(?). In 1847 the company obtained a lease from the Duke of Northumberland to mining rights in the area.
The company was liquidated in 1962: "Notice is hereby given, in pursuance of section 290 of the Companies Act, 1948, that a General Meeting of the Members of the above-named Company will be held at 31 Mosley Street, Newcastle upon Tyne 1, on Tuesday, the 29th day of May 1962. at 12.5 o'clock in the afternoon precisely, for the purpose of having an account laid before them, and to receive the Liquidator's report, showing how the winding-up of the Company has been conducted and the property of the Company disposed of, and of hearing any explanation that may be given by the Liquidator ; and also of determining by Extraordinary Resolution the manner in which the books, accounts, papers, and documents of the Company, and of the Liquidator thereof, shall be disposed of. Any Member entitled to attend and vote is entitled to appoint a proxy to attend and vote instead of him, and such proxy need not also be a Member. — Dated this 19th day of April 1962." http://www.dmm.org.uk/articles/9620427.htm
The company was liquidated in 1962: "Notice is hereby given, in pursuance of section 290 of the Companies Act, 1948, that a General Meeting of the Members of the above-named Company will be held at 31 Mosley Street, Newcastle upon Tyne 1, on Tuesday, the 29th day of May 1962. at 12.5 o'clock in the afternoon precisely, for the purpose of having an account laid before them, and to receive the Liquidator's report, showing how the winding-up of the Company has been conducted and the property of the Company disposed of, and of hearing any explanation that may be given by the Liquidator ; and also of determining by Extraordinary Resolution the manner in which the books, accounts, papers, and documents of the Company, and of the Liquidator thereof, shall be disposed of. Any Member entitled to attend and vote is entitled to appoint a proxy to attend and vote instead of him, and such proxy need not also be a Member. — Dated this 19th day of April 1962." http://www.dmm.org.uk/articles/9620427.htm
Prudhoe Hall
William Johnson is recorded in 1832 residing at Prudhoe Hall (Farm) this is a different property to the Prudhoe Hall that is more commonly recorded. Prudhoe (new) Hall was built in the late 1860s by Matthew Liddell (manager and later main owner of the Mickley Coal Company Limited).
The Hall Farm is probably 'The Hall' marked on early Ordnance Survey maps just down the hill from the school site. Today Prudhoe Hall Farm is possibly referred to as Prudhoe House - one of the oldest buildings in Prudhoe.
William Johnson is also recorded as having 'extensive fire-brick works' in Prudhoe.
The Hall Farm is probably 'The Hall' marked on early Ordnance Survey maps just down the hill from the school site. Today Prudhoe Hall Farm is possibly referred to as Prudhoe House - one of the oldest buildings in Prudhoe.
William Johnson is also recorded as having 'extensive fire-brick works' in Prudhoe.
More Land Ownership
There is a record in the North of England Mining Institute's archives that in 1835 Robert Capper of Blanchland leased the rights to the coal under Prudhoe Township ('including the sinking of pits and wayleave agreements') for 32 years from Christopher Blackett.
Christopher Blackett was a member of the Wylam branch of the ancient County Durham family. His family was at the forefront of coal extraction in the area: "John Blackett (died 1714) was the grandson of Christopher Blackett of Hoppyland (1612-1675) and the greatnephew of Sir William Blackett. In 1685 he acquired two farms at Wylam, and the Manor estate including the mineral rights, from the exploitation of which the family was to benefit greatly".
Our Christopher Blackett is the son of Christopher Blackett and Alice Ingham and was born in June 1788 and married Elizabeth Burgoyne in 1833.
It is the Blacketts along with the Ords who were the main landowners in the area around 1800
Christopher Blackett was a member of the Wylam branch of the ancient County Durham family. His family was at the forefront of coal extraction in the area: "John Blackett (died 1714) was the grandson of Christopher Blackett of Hoppyland (1612-1675) and the greatnephew of Sir William Blackett. In 1685 he acquired two farms at Wylam, and the Manor estate including the mineral rights, from the exploitation of which the family was to benefit greatly".
Our Christopher Blackett is the son of Christopher Blackett and Alice Ingham and was born in June 1788 and married Elizabeth Burgoyne in 1833.
It is the Blacketts along with the Ords who were the main landowners in the area around 1800
Tuesday 25 May 2010
Endless Horizons
The site of the new creative and media centre occupies a commanding position on Moor Road, Prudhoe. The site is approximately 150 metres above sea level and affords impressive views north over the Tyne valley with the busy A69 glimpsed beyond and on past Hadrian's Wall towards Morpeth.
To the east the buildings of Newcastle are glimpsed over the nearby houses. Behind the site the land rises gently for another 10 or 20 metres before dropping down over Prudhoe Moor to Durham Riding Farm and the valley of the Stanley Burn.
To the east the buildings of Newcastle are glimpsed over the nearby houses. Behind the site the land rises gently for another 10 or 20 metres before dropping down over Prudhoe Moor to Durham Riding Farm and the valley of the Stanley Burn.
Vicar's School
Prudhoe Community High School opened in 1958 as Prudhoe County Secondary School. The local authority were keen that the school was sited elsewhere in the vicinity but through the tireless efforts of Rev. Robson today's site was eventually identified.
Building started in 1955 and was completed at a cost of £172,016. The wife of Rev. Robson declared that the facility would provide 'a voyage of discovery offering endless horizons'.
Building started in 1955 and was completed at a cost of £172,016. The wife of Rev. Robson declared that the facility would provide 'a voyage of discovery offering endless horizons'.
Monday 24 May 2010
Student Site Observations
COLOURS: green, brown, grey, yellow, white, black, blue, purple, gold, red, pink, orange, magnolia, light blue
PLANTS & ANIMALS: trees, daisies, dandelions, bees, butterflies, birds, grass, cow, hedges
PLANTS & ANIMALS: trees, daisies, dandelions, bees, butterflies, birds, grass, cow, hedges
Starting Points
To underpin the layout of the new media centre the curriculum of the diploma in Creative and Media was consulted and gave rise to the division of the new building into zones: participation, enquiry, creative and reflection.
At an initial meeting with students from Prudhoe CHS I took these four words along with 'Northumberland' and 'Prudhoe' and asked the students to take them for a walk using the game of consequences. This is what happened:
Northumberland | cold | polar bear | bear | Rupert | jumper | Winter
Northumberland | countryside | food | hunger | food | particles combined
Northumberland | rural | meadows | cows | animal | living thing | alive
Northumberland | England | Union Jack | united | Newcastle | home | family
Prudhoe | home | bedroom | bed | sleep | zzzzz!!! | tigers
Prudhoe | culture | society | culture | community | village life | cheerfulness
Prudhoe | town | settlement | identity | crisis | panic | worry
Prudhoe | town | place | a house | street | dance | movement
Participation | involved | friends | people | families | The song 'We Are Family' | music
Participation | team work | helping | co-operation | friends | family | life
Participation | engagement | marriage | partnership | togetherness | community | families
Participation | taking part | involvement | physically | hit | assault | attack
Reflection | mirror | reflection | shininess | shiny show | glitter | Christmas
Reflection | ideas | brains | power | strength | muscles
Reflection | mirrors | reflection | mirror | shiny thing | modern | homes & gardens
Reflection | reviewing something | thinking | game | fun | playing | games
Creativity | paintbrush | paint | colour | paint | smelly | cheese
Creativity | art | art | Stuart | artist | painting | visual
Creativity | ideas | thinking | using your brain | intelligent | thinking | mind reading
Creativity | music | songs | music | film | watching | TV
Enquiry | investigate | inspector | hat | sun | the sea | waves
Enquiry | thoughts | critique | criticism | opinions | ideas
Enquiry | telephone | contract | communication | talking | communication | device
Enquiry | questioning | asking | learning | new | old | antique
At an initial meeting with students from Prudhoe CHS I took these four words along with 'Northumberland' and 'Prudhoe' and asked the students to take them for a walk using the game of consequences. This is what happened:
Northumberland | cold | polar bear | bear | Rupert | jumper | Winter
Northumberland | countryside | food | hunger | food | particles combined
Northumberland | rural | meadows | cows | animal | living thing | alive
Northumberland | England | Union Jack | united | Newcastle | home | family
Prudhoe | home | bedroom | bed | sleep | zzzzz!!! | tigers
Prudhoe | culture | society | culture | community | village life | cheerfulness
Prudhoe | town | settlement | identity | crisis | panic | worry
Prudhoe | town | place | a house | street | dance | movement
Participation | involved | friends | people | families | The song 'We Are Family' | music
Participation | team work | helping | co-operation | friends | family | life
Participation | engagement | marriage | partnership | togetherness | community | families
Participation | taking part | involvement | physically | hit | assault | attack
Reflection | mirror | reflection | shininess | shiny show | glitter | Christmas
Reflection | ideas | brains | power | strength | muscles
Reflection | mirrors | reflection | mirror | shiny thing | modern | homes & gardens
Reflection | reviewing something | thinking | game | fun | playing | games
Creativity | paintbrush | paint | colour | paint | smelly | cheese
Creativity | art | art | Stuart | artist | painting | visual
Creativity | ideas | thinking | using your brain | intelligent | thinking | mind reading
Creativity | music | songs | music | film | watching | TV
Enquiry | investigate | inspector | hat | sun | the sea | waves
Enquiry | thoughts | critique | criticism | opinions | ideas
Enquiry | telephone | contract | communication | talking | communication | device
Enquiry | questioning | asking | learning | new | old | antique
Friday 21 May 2010
Early Concepts
Early sketch notes inspired by ideas of excavation and the architecture of the new building.
Thursday 20 May 2010
A Quick Background History
Travelling west on the train from Newcastle the grip of industry appears to loosen by the time you reach Wylam. There is of course a large industrial presence at Low Prudhoe but otherwise the place has a quieter more rural feel.
It seems that Prudhoe was a quiet, rural community until the middle of the 1800s. Prior to this little appears on the radars of archaeology or social history - significant bronze age artefacts have been found but no obvious settlement defined in the vicinity. Thomas Bewick noted woodcutter and ornithologist lived nearby. It is Prudhoe's castle that gives one of the earliest records of the place in the 11th century and it was from this focus that 'modern' Prudhoe initially developed.
Fast forward to the 16 and 1700s and the mining of coal has begun to grow in importance with two significant workings possibly located close to the south of the site. People have also started to enclose the open land for farming. By 1801 the town's population was 380 but seventy years later this had risen dramatically to 2583. What happened?
The mining of coal in and around Prudhoe had become much bigger in scale and ambition with local companies such as the Mickley Coal Company Limited leading the way. The industry would change the shape of Prudhoe forever - living long in the memories of local people and leaving its mark pn the landscape.
In 1849 Robert Capper Esq. of Blanchland leased much land in Prudhoe to a William Johnson of Prudhoe Hall Farm (?). This land included the fields on which will sit the new media centre. In 1850 Robert Capper is recorded as leasing seams of coal and clay to Johnson but by 1862 Capper had sold his land to the Mickley Coal Company Limited (owned by Matthew Liddell amongst others).
It would appear that the MCCL retained this interest until the nationalisation of the coal industry in 1847. A handful of year's later and the National Coal Board provided 'great co-operation' in the establishment of Prudhoe County Secondary School on the site. Building started in 1955 and the school opened in 1958 and would provide 'a voyage of discovery offering endless horizons'.
It seems that Prudhoe was a quiet, rural community until the middle of the 1800s. Prior to this little appears on the radars of archaeology or social history - significant bronze age artefacts have been found but no obvious settlement defined in the vicinity. Thomas Bewick noted woodcutter and ornithologist lived nearby. It is Prudhoe's castle that gives one of the earliest records of the place in the 11th century and it was from this focus that 'modern' Prudhoe initially developed.
Fast forward to the 16 and 1700s and the mining of coal has begun to grow in importance with two significant workings possibly located close to the south of the site. People have also started to enclose the open land for farming. By 1801 the town's population was 380 but seventy years later this had risen dramatically to 2583. What happened?
The mining of coal in and around Prudhoe had become much bigger in scale and ambition with local companies such as the Mickley Coal Company Limited leading the way. The industry would change the shape of Prudhoe forever - living long in the memories of local people and leaving its mark pn the landscape.
In 1849 Robert Capper Esq. of Blanchland leased much land in Prudhoe to a William Johnson of Prudhoe Hall Farm (?). This land included the fields on which will sit the new media centre. In 1850 Robert Capper is recorded as leasing seams of coal and clay to Johnson but by 1862 Capper had sold his land to the Mickley Coal Company Limited (owned by Matthew Liddell amongst others).
It would appear that the MCCL retained this interest until the nationalisation of the coal industry in 1847. A handful of year's later and the National Coal Board provided 'great co-operation' in the establishment of Prudhoe County Secondary School on the site. Building started in 1955 and the school opened in 1958 and would provide 'a voyage of discovery offering endless horizons'.
Processes
mining | excavating | boring | moulding | learning | educating | creating | participating | enquiring | reflecting | building up
Wednesday 19 May 2010
Mr Capper
"A small land-sale colliery is in operation, and there is excellent clay for fire-bricks, for which a manufactory has been erected. The Duke of Northumberland and Mr. Capper are the principal owners of the township. On Mr. Capper's property is a farmhouse, which has evidently been a chapel; in the wall on the south side is a handsome Norman arch, and a porch was removed some years since."
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=51224&strquery=prudhoe#s21
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=51224&strquery=prudhoe#s21
Monday 10 May 2010
Wednesday 5 May 2010
What is this blog?
This blog has been established as a repository for material uncovered in researching the past, present and future of a small area of land on the edge of Prudhoe, Northumberland.
The land is currently part of Prudhoe Community High School and is situated on Moor Road, Prudhoe. Grid reference NZ 097 623.
Planned for the site is a new media centre that will be opened in Summer 2011. More information about the planned building can be found here: http://www.medianetnorth.com/news.php?arch=Jan2010&id=731
This site will build a picture of this piece of land (and its surroundings) and the people and events that help(ed) shape it. Information posted here will inform creative input into the new building and its future programming.
The land is currently part of Prudhoe Community High School and is situated on Moor Road, Prudhoe. Grid reference NZ 097 623.
Planned for the site is a new media centre that will be opened in Summer 2011. More information about the planned building can be found here: http://www.medianetnorth.com/news.php?arch=Jan2010&id=731
This site will build a picture of this piece of land (and its surroundings) and the people and events that help(ed) shape it. Information posted here will inform creative input into the new building and its future programming.
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