Storey Lodge Colliery	Index	Storey Lodge Colliery

Location:	Cockfield 13½ miles [22 km] SW of Durham
Map Ref:	(Sheet 92) NZ139253, 54° 37' 21" N, 1° 47' 5" W
Opened:
Closed:
Owners:	1860's - Thompson & Garbutt
	1880's - Trustees of T. Charlton & Co.
	1890's - North Bitchburn Coal Co. Ltd.
	1950's - A. Teasdale & Sons
	1960's - Storey Lodge Colliery Ltd.
Output:	1873 - Coal.
	1888 - Coal.
	1896 - Coal: Coking, Manufacturing.
	1902 - Coal: Coking, Manufacturing.
	1959 - Coal: Household, Industrial.
	1960 - Coal: Household, Industrial.
	1970 - Coal: Household, Industrial.
	1971 - Coal: Household, Industrial.
	1972 - Coal: Household, Industrial.
	1974 - Coal: Household, Industrial.
Employment:	Year  Pit   Total  Below  Above 1880 Standing 1896 160 129 31 1902 153 122 31 1959 10 10 1960 10 7 3 1970 12 10 2 1971 12 10 2 1972 12 10 2 1974 12 10 2
	Colliery Management (prior to 1955)
Seams Worked:	1960 - Busty
	1970 - Busty
	1971 - Busty
	1972 - Busty
	1974 - Busty
	Catalogue of plans of abandoned mines for Storey Lodge Colliery
Notes:	1833 - A boring was put down from the surface (but near a drift working the Yard Coal Seam) at Storey Lodge.
	1904 - Yard, Five Quarter, Brockwell seams abandoned - coal exhausted

Description

Coal is also extensively worked in this township [Evenwood], as will be seen by the following account of the several pits when in working order. The owners of Norwood colliery have two seams at work – the Brockwell, 5 ft. 6in., at the depth of 14 fathoms, which dips considerably to the north east, and the Busty, 4 feet thick, is worked by two drifts north and south. The annual output is 120,000 tons, and the number employed is over 200. Evenwood colliery, by the North Bitchburn Coal Co., have two pits working the Brockwell, 5 ft. 9 in., at the depth of 72 fathoms. Five Quarter from 1-9 to 3 feet at 58 fathoms, and the yard seam at 51 fathoms.

These seams are worked by a drift from Evenwood Colliery. The average output is 160,000 tons per annum, and the number employed is over 300. There are fifty coke ovens, but not in use at present. Storey Lodge Colliery, by the North Bitchburn Coal Co., working the Yard seam and the Five Quarter, 4 ft. 6 in. yielding an annual output of 80,000 tons, and employing 180 hands. Reiley Fell Colliery, by Messrs. Henry Stobart & Co. Here are the Busty, 3 ft. 8 in. to 4 ft., and the Brockwell, 5 ft. 10 in. This pit is at present idle ; but there are 70 coke ovens, which are supplied from the Lands Colliery, which was sunk in 1879, and at which are worked the Harvey, 2 ft. 4 in., the Busty, 4 ft. 6 in. to 6 ft., and the Brockwell, 5 ft. 10 in., employing 100 hands. At Morley Colliery, by Mr. Andrew Mein, is worked by a drift, the Main Coal seam, 5 ft. 6 in. to 6 ft., yielding 30,000 tons per annum, and employing 40 men and boys. Pit Close is another small colliery, where Mr. George Lowson is working also the Main Coal seam.

Whellan's 1894 Directory of County Durham

Disasters (5 or more killed)

None Found

Names of those killed at this colliery

Please note that this collection of names is by no means complete!

						Blackett, Ezra, 26 Aug 1898, aged 19, Labourer, Head caught by descending apparatus cage. No one was present when the accident occurred, but it is assumed that he had been looking over a fence 4 ft. 9 in. high when the cage came down and caught and killed him. His work was nowhere near the apparatus cage, and he had no right to be where he was [More information ...]
						Henderson, John, 07 Feb 1900, (accident: 26 Jan 1900), aged 50, Hewer, Leg slightly bruised by a fall of coal when kirving a jud. Blood poisoning set in and he died on February 7th.
						Lawson, John, 22 Feb 1876, aged 11, Wailer, run over by trucks on surface while attempting to sprag them
						Parkin, Thomas, 13 Jan 1890, aged 25, Onsetter, severely crushed between tub and shaft side [More information ...]
						Place, Stephen, 30 Apr 1875, aged 44, Screenman, crushed by a truck under screens
						Taylor, Benjamin, 11 Mar 1875, aged 26, Brakesman, by becoming entangled in the machinery while breaking an underground engine
						6 names found

If you know of any fatalities missing from the above list then please contact us with the details and we will add them to our database.

  more information on some of the fatalities shown above

Collieries and Pits within 5 miles (8km)

  a simulated map showing the immediate vicinity of Storey Lodge Colliery

  list of collieries/pits etc. near to Storey Lodge Colliery

Credits

Sources:

Related Links:

	External sites
	Gaunless Valley History Trust

Further Research:

  Research Notes for Storey Lodge Colliery