Radcliffe Colliery Engine House and Chimney
 

This photo is supposedly the final standing part of Radcliffe Colliery. I have no idea when this was finally demolished.

What exactly was the purpose of this "engine house"? is it the pumping engine or shaft winding engine? I'm guessing it's more likely this housed a beam pumping engine simply because the large vertical slot in the front would allow a beam to protrude?

This chimney (for a coal furnace powering a steam boiler?) appears to have claimed our first mining related death of the modern mining period (no doubt there will be many unrecorded casualties in the earlier period of more primitive mining)

Anyway, the newspaper “The Northern Liberator” ,Saturday, October 12, 1839 refers:

On Friday the 4th October a mason named George Spraggon, a native of Rothbury, was killed by falling from the top of the engine chimney, now in the course of erection at Radcliffe Colliery, near Warkworth. The workmen ascended to the top of the chimney, on the outside, by means of a tub which is hauled up by pulleys, and the unfortunate man was in the act of stepping from the tub, over the top, to scaffold place in the inside, when he slipped his hold and was precipitated to the ground, a height of nearly 70 feet; he died instantaneously, his head sinking deep into the ground. He was forty-six years of age, and has left a wife and four children. No inquest was held on the body, in consequence of not being able to secure the attendance of a coroner.

Radcliffe Colliery
 

Nice photo, I see Radcliffe Colliery comprised of three pits, First, Newbrourgh and North Engine. Perhaps this photo is the "North Engine"

yep seems likely.

Here's my pet brick :o 'RADCLIFFE' not necessarily from Radcliffe Colliery though as I'm informed all the Broomhill Collieries Amble made bricks had this stamp or "Broomhill". Now I have some broken frog-less 'RADCLIFFE' bricks in my allotment - allegedly earlier (Victorian?) - when I find an unbroken one my collection will increase to two bricks. :)


http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/imag...iffe_brick.jpg

Can't think of anything standing in Amble made from those bricks, it's quite a distinctive colour.

I was reading the other night a small book on the local collieries titled "A Tap at the End of the Raa" by Frederick Moffat. In there the author mentions that a small business also produced crockery from Broomhill Colliery clay, but the enterprise didn't last long.

Segger clay bricks, the hardest material known to man :) I've burnt out many on drill on them.All the colliery houses are the same colour hereabouts.

and Chevington Drift (was) I think?

I worked as a fitter for Derek Crouch at their Radcliffe and Hauxley sites and we would remove the underlying coal seam clay and take it to the Brick Yard at Stobswood and I believe it was turned into furnace fire brick.

Semi-detatched in George Street(started pre wwII and not finished till after) are these bricks.

Coquet, you appear to be the proud owner of a product of Amble Brick-flats!!

Ah luv bricks me!

But funny you should mention them now, as I've exchanged a few emails in recent days with another local history group: "Cullen, Deskford & Portknockie Heritage Group" who have found a frogless Radcliffe brick at the Tochieneal B & T Works, Cullen, Moray. Not only a Radcliffe Brick, but also one of the mysterious H. Carr & Co bricks, similar to ones I've found around here.

H. Carr brick second last on our 'pet bricks' page


Here are the two bricks from way up north (that's way, way up north!)

http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/imag..._radcliffe.jpg

images copyright: Cullen, Deskford & Portknockie Heritage Group

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

There must be something special about these to travel that distance? Anyone know if bricks were sent out of Amble by sea?

Perhaps these are refractory bricks?

From Pete up north: "Today found your "mystery" H Carr & Co brick at same Tochieneal site, its height tapering from side to side for use as stretcher in fire tunnel vault. Our kiln 1800's pre OS mapping. Could we refine dating together possibly ?"

So the gauntlet is down :D - can we locate and date H. Carr & Co?

note to self: thou shall not covet thou neighbour's frogless Radcliffe brick :o