Business took me over to Overgrass today which is out west of Swarland. Was there 41 years ago, never thought I'd have any reason to be over there again. Anyway, near Overgrass Farm there's an abandoned building, which was part of Whittle Colliery, the building housed a pair of fans on top of two shafts that intersect the workings at 85 metres depth. Thought I'd add a few snaps for posterity as the place is mentioned in this thread elsewhere.
Location on Google maps
Must have been 1980 or 81 as an apprentice electrician I spent some time over there wiring up control equipment, when the place was new.
That's the building on the left, the track on the right leads down the valley to Swarland burn; down there is a ruin of a medieval tower. I asked some locals about this today but it's on private land.
link link location on Google maps
Beyond the metal gate of the fanhouse, far distance, otherside of the valley is Longframlington.
This dirt track road down to overgrass marks the rough limit of what was the 'Top Side' coal faces of Whittle colliery, The faces in this particular area being worked in the 70s. Some faces stopped on the south east side of the road, some crossed it to the north west. The Shillbottle seam outcrops in the fields north west of the dirt track and old workings are prolific here according to the Coal Authority data.
