Backworth Colliery

B Pit

Account of Strata sunk through in the B Pit, Backworth Colliery. Begun June 12th, 1820. Finished May 19th, 1821

Shaft Details

Sunk: 12 Jun 1820, Closed: 1890s

Approximate surface level 196 feet above sea (Ordnance datum)

Switch to measurements in: fathoms, feet & inches, or metres

Geology encountered	Thickness		Depth
	ft.	in.	ft.	in.
Outset	7	6	7	6
Soil	1	0	8	6
Brown clay	3	0	11	6
Blue clay	4	0	15	6
Sand and water	1	0	16	6
Blue clay	4	0	20	6
Grey metal	2	0	22	6
Scamy grey post, with metal partings	2	6	25	0
Grey metal, with ironstone girdles	3	6	28	6
Grey metal stone, with post girdles	5	0	33	6
Brown whin	3	0	36	6
Grey scamy post, with water	3	6	40	0
Grey metal, with iron girdles	4	11	44	11
COAL	0	7	45	6
Grey thill	2	6	48	0
Grey metal stone, with water	4	0	52	0
Grey metal, with catheads	6	10	58	10
Black stone, mixed with coal	0	10	59	8
Grey metal, with 3 inches of ironstone at bottom	6	0	65	8
Girdle of petrified shells	0	4	66	0
Grey thill	2	3	68	3
Grey metal	3	0	71	3
Grey post, with scames and metal partings (Walling crib here)	8	0	79	3
Grey metal stone	7	3	86	6
COAL	1	0	87	6
Grey thill, with ironstone clyers	7	0	94	6
Dark grey metal stone	5	0	99	6
COAL	0	6	100	0
Dark grey thill	2	10	102	10
Grey metal stone, with ironstone clyers	17	0	119	10
Brown whin	2	0	121	10
Grey scamy post	4	7	126	5
Grey metal	4	0	130	5
Blue metal	4	0	134	5
COAL	3	1	137	6
COAL	0	9
Grey thill	1	0
COAL	1	4
Grey thill stone, with iron girdles	5	0	142	6
Scamy grey post girdles (Hiqh crib at bottom of this)	20	3	162	9
Black stone	3	0	165	9
Basy stone	0	3	166	0
Grey thill	0	6	166	6
COAL, foul	0	6	167	0
Grey thill stone	6	0	173	0
White post, with whin clyers and water	23	0	196	0
White post, with whin clyers and water	26	0	222	0
Dark grey metal	4	0	226	0
COAL, slaty	0	2	226	2
Grey metal stone, mixed with post (Low wedging crib 2 feet in this stone)	11	8	237	10
White scamy post	3	8	241	6
Blue metal stone	4	0	245	6
Black stone	8	6	254	0
COAL	0	5	254	5
Dark grey thill stone	2	0	256	5
Grey scamy metal stone and post girdles	9	0	265	5
White post, with whin clyers	41	6	306	11
Blue and grey metal stone, with post clyers	4	1	311	0
COAL - High Main Seam	6	0	317	0
Dark grey metal	0	2	317	2
COAL, foul	1	6	318	8
Light grey metal	0	7	319	3
COAL, strong and brassy	2	4	321	7
Grey metal thill	3	0	324	7
Dark blue metal	4	6	329	1
Strong blue metal stone	14	6	343	7
Grey post girdles, with metal partings and water	18	7	362	2
Strong blue metal stone, with scares of post	2	0	364	2
Scamy grey post, with much water	4	6	368	8
Blue metal and ironstone	3	6	372	2
COAL - Metal Coal, or Grey Seam	2	6	374	8
Grey thill	2	0	376	8
Blue metal stone, with grey post girdles	15	0	391	8
Grey post and partings	10	0	401	8
Blue and grey metal stone	8	0	409	8
COAL - Stone Coal Seam	1	9	411	5
Dark grey thill	1	7	413	0
Dark grey post and black scares	4	0	417	0
Strong white post	1	6	418	6
Dark grey post and scares	3	11	422	5
Black stone	0	5	422	10
Dark grey metal	2	6	425	4
Dark blue metal, mixed with ironstone	4	9	430	1
Grey post girdle	0	4	430	5
Black stone	4	4	434	9
Dark blue metal, with ironstone girdles	5	0	439	9
Blue metal stone	3	10	443	7
Scamy grey post	4	3	447	10
Blue metal, with ironstone girdles	6	2	454	0
COAL	0	6	454	6
Dark grey metal and coal	4	0	458	6
COAL	0	4	458	10
Dark grey metal	1	11	460	9
COAL	0	1	460	10
Dark grey thill	1	7	462	5
White post	5	10	468	3
Whin	3	2	471	5
Scamy post	3	0	474	5
Post girdles and metal partings	4	5	478	10
Strong metal stone	2	3	481	1
COAL - Yard Seam	2	5	483	6
Black stone	0	2	483	8
Grey thill	3	7	487	3
Dark blue metal, with ironstone	10	0	497	3
White post, whin clyers and partings	23	3	520	6
Black stone	1	0	521	6
COAL	1	2	522	8
COAL	0	3
COAL and black stone	0	11
Dark metal and scares	0	10	523	6
COAL and black stone	1	0	524	6
Grey metal	1	11	526	5
COAL	0	3	526	8
Blue metal and ironstone girdles	4	6	531	2
Blue and grey metal stone, with post girdles	14	6	545	8
Dark blue metal	2	8	548	4
Grey post and scames	9	0	557	4
Grey post girdle	0	6	557	10
Dark blue metal	0	4	558	2
COAL - Bensham Seam	4	2	562	4
COAL	2	5
Black band	0	6
COAL	1	3
Grey thill	4	0	566	4
Blue metal, with ironstone	8	0	574	4
COAL	0	1	574	5
Grey thill	0	4	574	9
Dark grey post	2	3	577	0
Strong white post	5	9	582	9
Blue metal and ironstone	6	0	588	9
COAL	0	1	588	10
Dark grey thill	4	7	593	5
Dark blue metal	4	6	597	11
COAL and black stone	0	5	598	4
Metal and ironstone	2	10	601	2
COAL	5	4	606	6
COAL	1	10
Metal, with post girdles	1	9
COAL	0	7
Black stone	0	2
COAL	1	0
Black stone	0	2	606	8
Dark grey thill	3	10	610	6
Strong white post, with metal partings at bottom	11	7	622	1
Blue metal and ironstone	10	3	632	4
Black stone	0	1	632	5
Mussel shells	0	2	632	7
Black stone	0	6	633	1
Blue metal and girdles	7	11	641	0
Black stone	0	2	641	2
COAL - Low Main Seam	2	6	643	8
COAL	0	2
COAL, splint	0	4
COAL	2	0
Black metal and coal	0	11	644	7
Grey thill	2	0	646	7
Grey metal stone and girdles	3	0	649	7
Bored further :—	0	0	649	7
Grey metal stone and girdles	18	0	667	7
White post and whin clyers	50	7	718	2
Grey metal	2	10	721	0
Grey post girdles and partings	18	6	739	6
Post girdle	1	6	741	0
Grey post girdles and partings	9	0	750	0
Blue metal stone and girdles	6	8	756	8
Grey post	3	9	760	5
Blue metal and white post	1	11	762	4
Blue metal	1	5	763	9
Post (Feb. 28th)	0	8	764	5
Blue metal stone and girdles	6	0	770	5
Post	27	7	798	0
Blue metal	2	1	800	1
Grey post	4	2	804	3
Strong blue metal stone	4	6	808	9
Post	1	4	810	1
Blue metal	1	3	811	4
Post	0	5	811	9
Blue metal	0	10	812	7
Post	0	7	813	2
Blue metal and girdles	2	5	815	7
Grey post	5	11	821	6
Blue metal stone	1	1	822	7
Strong white post	38	3	860	10
Whin	4	2	865	0
Post	4	7	869	7
Light blue metal	5	3	874	10
Dark blue metal	12	0	886	10
Post girdle	0	9	887	7
Blue metal stone	7	0	894	7
COAL	0	1	894	8
Grey thill	2	8	897	4
Post girdle	1	0	898	4
Blue metal and girdles	4	3	902	7
COAL	0	2	902	9
Thill	0	7	903	4
Blue metal	6	2	909	6
Blue metal stone and post girdles	12	5	921	11
Black stone	0	9	922	8
COAL	2	6	925	2
COAL, tender	2	3
COAL, slaty	0	3
Grey thill	2	4	927	6
Post	3	9	931	3
COAL	0	7	931	10
Grey and white post and water	42	3	974	1
COAL	0	5	974	6
Black metal and coal	0	3	974	9
Light grey thill	0	7	975	4
White post	20	0	995	4
COAL	0	9	996	1
Thill	0	4	996	5
Grey post	6	11	1003	4
Blue metal	2	6	1005	10
COAL, strong	0	11	1006	9
COAL and black stone	1	0	1007	9
Thill	1	0	1008	9
Blue metal	1	4	1010	1
Strong grey post	4	9	1014	10
Post girdles and partings	2	8	1017	6
Blue metal stone	1	3	1018	9
Grey post	4	1	1022	10
Dark blue metal	6	8	1029	6
COAL, tender	2	1	1031	7
Thill	0	10	1032	5
Blue metal and ironstone	4	2	1036	7
Grey post	7	11	1044	6
Dark blue metal	2	4	1046	10
COAL	0	2	1047	0
Grey thill	1	0	1048	0
Blue and grey metal	4	0	1052	0
COAL	0	8	1052	8
Grey thill	0	4	1053	0
Strong grey post	12	8	1065	8
Blue metal	1	3	1066	11
COAL	0	8	1067	7
Dark grey thill	1	6	1069	1
Blue and grey metal	1	6	1070	7
Strong blue metal	1	9	1072	4
Strong grey and white post	65	7	1137	11
Blue metal	1	1	1139	0
COAL	2	9	1141	9
Splint coal* and stone*	0	5
COAL, tender	0	8
COAL, good	1	8
Grey and white post and whin	54	1	1195	10
COAL	0	4	1196	2
Grey post and metal	13	5	1209	7
COAL, tender	1	6	1211	1
White thill	0	3	1211	4
Grey post and whin dyers	19	2	1230	6
Blue and black metal	6	6	1237	0
COAL	1	3	1238	3
Thill	0	4	1238	7
Strong grey post	4	8	1243	3
Whin	0	8	1243	11
Grey post	1	2	1245	1
Blue metal	1	7	1246	8
Grey post	1	0	1247	8
Left off in blue metal stone	2	11	1250	7

Source: An Account of the strata of Northumberland & Durham as proved by Borings & Sinkings, Volume A-B, published by the North of England Institute of Mining & Mechanical Engineers, 1878

original entry for sinking/boring number 0031 in "An Account of the strata of Northumberland & Durham as proved by Borings & Sinkings, Volume A-B, published by the North of England Institute of Mining & Mechanical Engineers, 1878"

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