Bilton Banks & Old Shilbottle Colliery

[Coquet]

I've split these posts off from the Lime Kiln thread to create a stand alone thread on Bilton Banks and Old Shilbottle Colliery (Longdyke or Longdike)

[brownknees]

Looking on google earth yesterday I was a bit perplexed in looking for Bilton banks.There was (back in the 50s)a row of miners houses and just before the houses an old mine shaft that had a wall around it but you could of course climb up and throw stones down,I dont think it was so deep as you could hear water flowing in the depths!Perhaps the houses were knocked down ?

[Coquet]

Originally Posted by brownknees

Looking on google earth yesterday I was a bit perplexed in looking for Bilton banks.There was (back in the 50s)a row of miners houses and just before the houses an old mine shaft that had a wall around it but you could of course climb up and throw stones down,I dont think it was so deep as you could hear water flowing in the depths!Perhaps the houses were knocked down ?

Bilton Banks was demolished, only one detached house left, ex managers house I believe. Wonder if the shaft you remember was Longdyke Colliery? (Old Shilbottle Colliery), it was on the bend in the road immediately to the north of Bilton Banks.





http://binged.it/AwsIic


Link above, triangle of trees is the site of Longdyke Colliery

[Coquet]

You got me thinking if there was a connection underground between the Old Shilbottle Colliery (Longdyke) and the 'new' (Grange Pit) - don't think so from my sketch of the workings.

Anyway, inspired, I've spent hours making the map below of the workings in the Shilbottle seam superimposed on a copyright expired OS map. (I can't use a more recent one so some of the newer roads are missing on here)

Hope you like it

I've marked the position of Longdyke shafts on there, but the whole thing is just a sketch, not a detailed plot, but accurate enough I hope.

the red lines are faults.

[Coquet]

It was a Shilbottle and Whittle miner's tale that they would eventually go for the coal out under the sea. Don't know how feasible that was in reality, but from the map above they got quite close, a kilometre off the beach at Birling.

[brownknees]

Yes that would be the one!Has it been filled in?My dad first worked at Hauxley pit and had to walk out to the seam under the sea!!Not a job for the faint hearted!Then he started at Shilbottle about 1949 and we moved up from Amble to a new house(Lee avenue).Great place as a child then,absolute freedom !Roam wherever you wanted and only go home when hungry!!