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.