Hetton-le-Hole Herald The Newsletter for Hetton Local History Group Volume .2....... Issue ...6..... Date..May 2011...... Information & Calendar river bar. It was necessary for Next meeting of the history group is Mon- flat-bottomed boats called keel day 27th June at 7 p.m. It is hoped that a boats to carry the coal from up- speaker for Houghton Church can be ar- river down to the awaiting collier ranged for that evening brigs at the river entrance. Wednesday July 6th—an open air service for school children and interested parties This meant that the coal will be held at Hetton Country park, 10 had to be transhipped by hand, a a.m. as a memorial to the 9 men who lost lengthy and at times, a danger- their lives in the Eppleton Colliery explo- ous proposition, particularly dur- sion.. All welcome to attend. ing poor weather conditions. It Before reading this article it is worth also caused considerable delays looking at a recent Video produced by and extra costs. Following the Keith Cockerill located on the website construction of the north and entitled “The Sunderland Site”, Page south piers at the harbour en- 009. A link to the site can be found on trance the river also deepened the Links Page on this website. so allowing the sailing brigs to load within the river itself and The transport of Coal to the then sail safely out to sea. River Wear For decades the keel boats In the newsletter Vol 2, had served the coal trade and Issue 4 we discussed how the were an integral part of the coal River Wear as well as helping the transport initiative. Initially the development of the coalfield dur- coal from the immediate hinter- ing the 17th and 18th centuries land of the river had served also acted as a barrier to its de- mainly local needs but by the velopment in that the river at 16th century there was a flour- the tidal estuary was very shal- ishing national and near conti- low and ships quite often were nental coal trade. By 1750 a net- forced to load coal close to the work of wooden waggonways had 1 developed throughout the coal- not an efficient machine and by field carrying the coal down to 1775 there were about 900 in the rivers Tyne and Wear where use many of which had adapta- it could be loaded into keel tions to them. It was however boats. The chaldrons full of down to two men Boulton and coal relied upon horses to pull Watt to improve the engine and them but were seriously re- make it more efficient and less stricted where the land was not fuel hungry than the original. By level, and as a consequence lim- ited amounts of the mineral could be moved at any one time. These transport restrictions were happening when there was an increase in the demand for coal and led to a deal of frus- tration among coal owners. However around 1710 Tho- mas Newcomen perfected his 18th century Chaldron wagon pulled by horse steam engine. Initially the en- gine was used to pump out water from the tin mines in Cornwall but within a few years its usefulness was appreci- ated by other mining ventures throughout the coun- Gibson’s Vignette showing coal transpor- try. By the time of his death in tation from colliery to staith in the 18th C. 1729 about 75 engines were in operation in various parts of the adding an additional steam con- country. denser the steam did not need The Newcomen Engine was re-heating to the same original level and then by making a dou- 2 ble acting machine where both mand for coal also increased the up the and down strokes around this time and more and more collieries were coming into production within the Durham coalfield. The importance of these early waggonways cannot be un- der-estimated since they added assurance to the development of the coalfield. Most of them made their way down to a river bank where the coals were stored in a staith before being Photo of a wooden waggonway unearthed during demolition of the Fence Houses sent down a shute into a keel coke works early in the 21st C. boat. In later years an addi- tional form of loading was ap- were power strokes making for plied, namely by a waggon drop. a much more efficient machine. Here the chaldron was lowered by means of a swinging beam Finally the vertical cylin- down to water level where it der was put into a horizontal was emptied into the keel. This position and a pulling engine was method was used to prevent developed. This engine known as damage being done to the keel a stationary engine was quickly boat as well enable the chal- adopted to a number of waggon- drons to be emptied directly ways where chaldrons could be into the boats. It became com- hauled together and so increas- mon practice for buyers of coal ing the flow of coal to the to order specific coals from a staiths at the river side. The particular colliery and this impetus to use stationary en- method of loading assisted the gines on waggonways rather process. than horses received a con- So long before Hetton be- siderable boost following the came an important source of Napoleonic Wars at the start of coal and its important railway the 19th century when the price established in 1822 was not yet of horse fodder rocketed. built, coal was being taken from a myriad of minor collieries in More importantly the de- 3 the vicinity, many of which had many evident according to Gib- been in production for more son’s map of 1788, were mecha- than 50 years. The early coal nised and improved as the dec- owners including the following, ades passed during the 19th Lady Vane, later to marry Lord century. The advent of locomo- Londonderry, the Earl of Dur- tives on these waggonways fol- ham, Nesham, Peareth, William lowing Stephenson’s Hetton ex- Bell and Company all invested in periment in 1822 merely added waggonways and staiths in order to their importance while at the to get their coals to the coast. same time becoming a proper Later on, with the coming of railway system. The banks of railways proper, ownership of the River Wear soon became the collieries changed and many filled with operating staiths and took on the mantle of the coal quays where boats could tie up. barons such as Lord London- Most of the staiths were down- derry and Lambton (Earl of Dur- river of the village of Fatfield ham). South of the river Wear although the occasional location Londonderry and Lambton occurred between Fatfield fought to create the biggest bridge and Chester-le-Street. coal empire while in the North Many of the walls of the quays around Washington Peareth can be seen today, some of soon dominated. which have stood the test of An old staith Extensive waggonways, 4 time as well as flood and tide. which formed part of an earlier staith. This was the site of the In 1826 a map of the River High Donnison Staith. These Wear was published by John staiths are easily viewed from Rennie showing all the staiths the southern bank close to the and quays from Washington to Charteshaugh Bridge carrying Sunderland. The keel boats the Washington Highway. were generally a little over 24 feet in length and powered by a square sail on a single mast. The boat was flat bottomed, broad and drew a shallow draught in order to negotiate the shallows or when coming alongside a river bank. They could also be pushed along by the use of a long pole with a forked iron prong on the end. The new Highway bridge A Tour of the River,Fatfield to the Victoria Viaduct Next to it and partially removed by the Highway bridge was the Allan Staith. A short distance to the The John George Lambton staith west of the location of Charte- shaugh Colliery on the southern A short distance to the boundary of Washington it is east of the bridge is the South possible to see old stone walls Moor staith and a little farther 5 on the John George Lambton poured into the keel. This work staith. was characteristically carried out by women and girls who The staith was a long low filled wheelbarrows with coal building made of timber. It is from within the staith. This here that the coals were stored work was an alternative to work- when there were no keels to load or they were delayed by the tides. This storage area of- ten allowed the collieries to continue to produce coal. The keels tied up below a spout, down which the coals were A photo from the 1920s shows Fatfield riverside ing underground, a common practice for women in the 17th century. At the east end of the John George Lambton staith was located a public house In the background the now modernised pub in Fatfield village North Biddick with the Penshaw Staiths on the far river bank where the keelmen often gath- A photo taken in the 1950s shows Fatfield ered to eat or partake of a pint village and the staiths below Charter- shaugh Colliery headgear and the river- of ale. Then followed the side staiths close to the village. staiths at Fatfield village. 6 and Philadelphia. The etching above shows the spouts used by I D Nesham.