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Description: | The Derwent Iron Company was created in 1840 to exploit the local iron deposits. The company was reformed as the Consett Iron Company in 1864. It was the company's exploitation of the coking coal in the valley which led to the establishment of the mining village of Chopwell. The Consett Iron Company opened new coke ovens at Westwood in 1872 and made a series of boreholes in the Chopwell district, before beginning full scale mining from two shafts at the northern end of the village. This transformed Chopwell into a thriving mining community. The village grew with the development of the colliery. First Wear Street, Tyne Street and Tees Street were built next to the pit in 1895 and 1896. By 1899 Blyth Street, Severn Street and Thames Street were completed. In 1907 Wansbeck, Trent, Mersey, Humber,Tay, Clyde, Forth, Tweed and East Street were built. In the same year seven streets were collectively known as "Whittonstall", named after local farms, were built at the extreme west of Chopwell. The colliery official's houses, Ramsay Road, Greenhead Terrace and Derwent View were better built and more pleasantly situated. After the Second World War, Labour nationalised the mines. There was an increase in the demand for coal and Whittonstall Drift reopened in 1953 and the East Drift in 1956. However in 1957 the first rumours about the closure began to circulate. Overtime and Saturday working were stopped, and opencast output was deliberately reduced. In May 1959 No. 3 Pit finished production and was finally closed in December 1960. In 1963 the headgear was pulled down, the shaft filled in and all the buildings demolished. Coal winding ceased from the last working shaft at Chopwell No.1 Pit in late 1960, the railway line was closed in February 1961, the last coals were screened from the Hollins West Drift in November 1966, and Chopwell colliery was officially abandoned on January 28 th 1967. | Format: | image/jpeg | License: | http://www.asaplive.com/Lco/Lco.cfm?ccs=629&cs=2674&Preview=1 | Publisher: | Gateshead Council | Subjects: | Coal Industry | Source: | iSee Gateshead | Creator: | Unknown | Identifier: | http://isee.gateshead.gov.uk/detail.php?... | Language: | en-GB | Format: | image/jpeg | Go to resource |
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