Watergate, C17 coal pits

The Watergate Colliery royalty stretched for 2 miles from the Black Burn in Washingwell Wood to Mitcheson's Gill to the south. It included Ravesnsworth Park. The upper seams were extensely worked in the 17th and 18th centuries. In 1609 Lionel Maddison obtained a lease to work coal at Marshall Lands. He'd acquired land at Marshall Lands and the Paddocks from Richard Hinde. The lease was renewed in 1624 for 15 years. By 1632 there had been 13 pits sunk here and near Fugar Field. A waggonway was laid from Ravensworth Park Farm through Robins Wood to meet up with the Team Colliery waggonway at Tileshed Wood. In 1620 Thomas Liddell worked coal pits in Horsemouth Wood beside the Black Burn. In 1901 Charles Perkins and Partners wanted to mine the coal in Ravensworth Park. An exploratory shaft had been sunk in 1884 in the workshop yard of the castle. David Robson, Teams Colliery viewer, was in charge. Priestman Collieries Ltd took of the leases of Axwell Park, Bagnalls and Whickham Bank Collieries in 1902. In 1923 they sunk Watergate Pit (HER 7000).