Old King Coal (Woodhorn Colliery Museum)

Member Name: robinlawrie

Product:	Woodhorn Colliery Museum
Date:	29/11/01 (1288 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great day out, Pure Nostalgia

Disadvantages: None

Ashington, The Largest Pit Village in the World. For many years this was the proud boast of this North East community. This is the place where you could shout down a mine, and a world-class footballer would emerge. Who has not heard of Jack and Bobbie Charlton? Ask any Newcastle United supporter who was the best player they ever had, and the vast majority of the older supporters will answer with one voice. Jackie Milburn from Ashington. He led the toon on their unstoppable crusade in the early 1950s and his statue now takes pride of place outside the Newcastle United ground at St. James Park and in the centre of Ashington shopping centre.

Within a radius of 5 miles from the centre of Ashington, there used to be 30 collieries or pits. Ashington was the largest, employing nearly 4,000 men in the years following the Second World War. As the seams became unworkable, this number was reduced, and with the advance of modern opencast procedures, we are today left with only one pit at Ellington. This is hanging on by its fingertips and will probably follow the rest into glorious oblivion in the near future.

What then of the proud tradition of the mining community? Where will it be possible to see the conditions under which the men, boys and even women toiled in the good old bad old days.

As a rule, the remains of the collieries and pits are nowhere to be found as the land was immediately reclaimed for other purposes, indeed in the latter years it was almost with indecent haste that the shafts were filled and the headgear removed for scrap. It was as if the authorities were ashamed of what they had asked men to do and wanted all evidence removed from the face of the earth. There was however one exception. In 1984 a small colliery near Ashington called Woodhorn, brought its last load of miners to the surface and the place was prepared for demolition. The silent headgear was a reminder of past glories, or possibly a gravestone to the tho
usands of men women and children that lost their lives needlessly in the mines of yesteryear.

The winding engines and shafts remained in use until 1985, as they were required to pump water from Ashington Colliery, until it too closed on 1st October 1986. A few of Woodhorn Colliery's buildings were demolished i.e. the pithead baths and lamp cabin, but it was decided to preserve the remaining buildings as a mining museum. Woodhorn Colliery Museum opened in 1989 and is currently attracting 40,000-50,000 visitors per year.

This is not a Museum with the pulling power of say Beamish, but is nonetheless an excellent setting for this growing enterprise. As it continues to expand, it is bringing pleasure and memories to many people.

When you first enter the museum, every effort is made to give the impression of entering the workings of the mine, as it was prior to closure. There are plenty of tools and machinery along with the every day sounds of a working colliery. Listen carefully and you will hear the deputy speaking on the internal phone to the surface. The voice is that of my wife?s uncle Jack, so this is my claim to fame.

On display at the museum is a collection of paintings by the Pitmen Painters. They were a group of Northumberland miners, who in the 1930.s founded a local art group. In those days there was no spare money for oil paints and canvas and if the choice was between bread on the table or some watercolours, then food took priority. Not to be beaten, they used materials that were at hand such as plywood instead of canvas, and household paint, which was plentiful and cheap when bought and shared round the group. Their work is displayed at the Museum, and it is really quite excellent. It is not described as ?oil on canvas but Walpamur on hardboard. The majority of these unique paintings depicts everyday life in the community and as such is invaluable as a historical record.

Clippie and
proggie mats were only to be found in the North East of England as far as I am aware, and were a method of recycling woollens by cutting them into strips and making mats from them. The art has all but disappeared but at the museum is a group who meet and make these mats every Thursday and Sunday. You are more than welcome to watch them at work and will even be invited to try your hand at this fast disappearing craft.

Apart from the exhibits relating to mining in the area, Woodhorn Museum regularly hosts exhibitions from other museums. Recently, to co-incide with the Laing gallery, the museum used computers to give an interactive view of the Lindisfarne Gospels, which were on display at Newcastle.

You can take a trip on Black Diamond, a genuine colliery loco, which runs on narrow gauge on a circular track. The round trip takes about 20 minutes at a leisurely 5 mph through the Queen Elizabeth Country Park giving excellent views of the wildlife on the lake. On a clear day, it is possible to see the Simonside and Cheviot Hills.

There is an excellent 70-seater cafeteria, (try the all day breakfast) and a comprehensive gift shop.

As the museum is partly funded by the local council, the Coal Board and the E.C. possibly the best news is that a visit to the Museum is absolutely free, although donations are gratefully accepted. It is open all year round.

Times of opening are:
Wednesday to Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays:
10.00 am - 5.00 pm (close 4.00 pm September - April)

Woodhorn Colliery museum is well signposted from Ashington, and if you cant find Ashington then ask the first person you meet North of the Tyne.
Tel: (01670) 856 968

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