The early Radcliffe miners had a horrendous life. The first houses were back-to-back terraces, so most homes had connecting walls on either side and also to the rear. They were one storey high and had only one room and an attic. Ventilation was poor as it was impossible to create a through draft. It's difficult to imagine how large families organised themselves in such cramped conditions and privacy was minimal. It appears that there were no toilet facilities whatsoever in the village, nor any means of waste disposal; there weren't even any netties (earth closets) or middens. I can only assume that each household made its own arrangements in this respect. Water for drinking and washing was probably obtained from the burn. To augment the supply during the summer months additional water was transported to the village by cart from a pump at Amble harbour and sold for a halfpenny per can. With such limited amounts of water it must have been difficult for the village women to keep themselves and their families clean, and impossible to wash the dirty pit clothes effectively. Of course, disease was widespread.
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