Lining up of Whittle Workings.
 

The plan superimposed onto the map was drawn from an actual Whittle plan but it did not give any surface reference points. I had therefore to try to draw it from my basic knowledge of the location of the Whittle drift, I was a Shilbottle man and only ever went down Whittle once and that was to travel the escape route from Shilbottle. This explains why the plan is out.

No problem Alan, the important part is the mine layout. I'll rotate it around when I get time (if I can think up a way to do it!)

this is it rotated 32 degrees, overgrass shaft lines up with y18 (red dot)
and the drift about in position, perhaps a bit to the west.


just a rough 1st attempt.


now where did the overgrass shaft intesect the mine workings? was it y18 or y19, and how far up the gateway from the loco road??



http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/images/plot1.jpg

Surface boreholes.
 

The ventilation boreholes were about 3/4 of the way up the gateway from the loco road in Y19 gateway. There is a fan shown at the bottom of this gateway and all the return air gathers there to go up the boreholes.

whittle
 

yes i thought that building along overgrass road might be the fan house , i never went up y19 , but there was plenty noise and draft at the bottom 5 yards from loco road. i was told someone wanted to turn the fan house into a home.

whittle
 

its a pity no one has drawings of whittle old workings, shilbottle , or newton on the moor , or longframlington old workings.

The abandonment plans should exist somewhere; It's been a legal requirement to record them since 1872. The Coal Authority have them and Woodhorn Archives have some as well.

Cheers Alan, It's a slight scale problem with the base map then, I'll adjust it and we'll be in business.



http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/images/whittle2.jpg

Y101 and Y102 were very wet. I note that they pass right under Swarland Burn, and it looks like from the other faces to the north that there is faulting present along the approximate line of Swarland Burn. I used to drink the water running in through the roof in the gates of those faces. Saved carrying a water bottle. :D

New location of workings.
 

Well done, that is now spot on with the surveyors plans. Y64 & 65 look very close to the location of the old Longframlington colliery, this was where the wooden chalets are now sited on the road to Newton on the Moor.

whittle
 

i remember working in y103 tail gate up to the knees in water with oil skins on stopping water down my back. when i started at whittle first went to y25 mother gate this had top water, then in to y23 mother gate where there was props in the middle keeping up the girders,girder lads put one end girder on the belt and carryed the other end passing around props ,girder lads knocker,dog,bottle . overman jackie haliday.

can anyone tell me if there was a pit at craigside ? , as when we had a military vehicle show at craigside my uncle said to a lad have you been swimming at the top side of craigside, as he had rusty water on him. unless there is a water outlet from debdon colliery?.

Phil, if you look at the Rothbury thread about Capt Redhead, you will see some exchanges about Debdon colliery, which would be above Cragside. That might be the one you're thinking of.

Sorry Phil, I see you've mentioned Debdon. I've just been reading a bit about Cragside in Dippie Dixon's book where he talks about the building of the estate...no mention of a pit at Cragside.

if you look from craigside towards alnwick debdon is on the left i believe this water on the right of craigside on the backside of the hill.

Regarding Whittle Phil, there was a connection from the 'low side' to 'top side' (is that what we called it?) through a couple of gateways for coal and supplies.

A bunker sat at the bottom of y58, coal going up to the 'top side' belt line from this.

but which roadway was the supply road in? was that y58 tailgate or y59 or something? I remember a clever thing called a GMT curve at the bottom.

These connections are missing from the plan above

the suppy road was y59t/g. The GMT system went down y59t/g then round the curve onto 1 west winnings all the way into y66 . If you went from y58 bunker inbye you come to the causey park dyke (wyne stone) the head end was commonly called Jeffs head end ,what gate was north drivage at , why was at called this ?. I was talking to "JR" Dawson who is at six-t media they have coal mineing dvd:s , he was telling me Jacky Haliday is still going ,but ? Archibolt is gone , what was your overman called coguet ?.

I recall a Geordie Spears? He used to sit at that bunker at 58 to stop the troops riding the belts out for an early 'Lowse' :D

Are there any DVD's of anything to do with Whittle or Shilbottle? I may be wrong but I think the GMT curves were filmed in action at Whittle. They must have been a big deal!

I think we were warned not to walk on the tight side of the curve in case you got cut in two by the rope! (if it came out of its guides or something at that moment)

whittle colliery
 

i remember Geordie Spears he spent a lot of time around y103 shearer face. we were warned about the inside of curve, Arthour Good was in charge of the GMT set , if you wanted to get by Geordie you had go onto supply road passed GMT curve headding outbye along the old road way turn left through small air door onto y58 belt road jump onto belt ride to top then ride next belt outbye , do you remember the booster belt at north driveage where one belt on top of another to boost it, if you rode this belt from y58 top non stop to go past north driveage you had to put your self rescurer to one side of your hip and battery to the other side and your head on one side and hope you get though ,i used to do this the things we did to get out sharp!. JR said there is dvds comming with Whittle in it ,but not just yet.

I know an Arthur Good, was he from North Broomhill?