High Team Forge. The 1st edition Ordnance Survey mapping shows its associated mill races. In June 1735 Theodosia Crowley took leases from the Rev. Robert Thomlinson, Rector of Whickham of a corn mill on the River Team called Teams Bridge High Mill and miln ground on the north side of the mill race, and adjoining Parish Meadow and Thorney closes, and Low Teams Bridge Mill (Dunston Forge? HER 3739), together with all the slitting mills, steel furnaces, other mills, forges, workhouses, messuages etc. A further steel furnace was erected at the upper Teams Mill between 1735 and 1740. The purchase of these leases was assisted by a mortgage granted by the Rev. R. Thomlinson. His loan of £5100 was still outstanding in 1756. Daniel Walter, a senior clerk from Winlaton was transferred temporarily to the new works to instruct an agent employed in the new purchase at Teams. Angerstein in 1753 found former employees of William Bertram (of Blackhall Mill HER 1017) making German shear steel for the Crowleys at Teams. Good quality iron was cemented, the blister steel drawn down, recemented and faggotted, drawn down, again recemented and faggotted, finally being made into bars of rectangular section about 4 feet long. It was charcoal heated and sold at 10d per pound. The Teams works were still being operated in 1854. The Teams forges used water power to drive the bellows, hammers and rollers - operations carried out included forging pig iron into bar iron, founding pig iron and scrap iron into cast moulds, rolling and slitting bar iron into nail rods, and steel-making. In addition at Teams, bands and hoops were cut for barrels.

A Wagonway, running north west from Derwent Crook. Marked as Old on the 1st edition OS mapping, it was probably out of use by 1857. At some time it had reached Low Fell but was cut back to Low Moor in 1812, it was still working in the 1840s. The first Team waggonway opened in 1670 and lead to staiths at Team, probably from a railhead near Cow Close Mill (now Close House) near Lady Park. Owned by Sir Thomas Liddell, he planned to combine the waggonway with a complex pumping scheme to drain several hundred acres in the low-lying Team Valley and the slopes of the Ravensworth ridge that overlooked it. However, the catchment area was too small to power the pumps so a long and circuitous leat, called “The Trench” was built to tap into the Black Burn. The coal mill comprised three wheels that drove a battery of pumps in several interlinked shafts, operated by enormous timber transmission shafts and cog-and-rung gearing; this must have been the most ambitious use of water power in the coalfield. The original Team Way lay entirely west of the river and headed firmly southwards. Its earliest extension, which has left no trace, was laid to Kibblesworth and survived at least until 1750. However, it is unknown whether its route from Cow Close to the Town Fields, west of the village, was laid.
The waggonway was extended into Robin’s Wood to a terminus called “Cocksclose” sometime between 1711 and 1723 when a new colliery opened in High Park. A number of branches also developed to the east of the Team as it was easily bridged. These exploited the western face of the Gateshead ridge. The first eastern branch crossed the stream into Derwent Crook, perhaps as early as the 1680s. Coal was worked here in 1740 by Claughton who was barred from using the Team Way and who probably sought an outlet over Gateshead Fell. A branch was rebuilt from Derwent Crook and Breckenbeds to the Team Way in the later 18th century, perhaps between 1756-68, and was still open in the 1840s. This branch had once reached Low Fell, but by 1812 had been cut back to Low Moor near the Team. A quite distinct branch to the Team Way seems to have been laid for the Chow Dene sinking of 1746.
The main crossing of the Team, upstream, was already open by March 1726 and was destined to become the main line of the Team Waggonway. In 1726 it reached Aller Dene Colliery and was spreading fingers up the hillside. By 1812 the line reached its greatest extent, running to the limit of the Liddell’s Lamesley estate. By this time Team staith had long been abandoned, and outlets sought on the lower Tyne. The coal mill of 1670 may have survived until 1750 when a Newcomen engine was installed at Ravensworth.

Historic Ordnance Survey map evidence shows the position of The Tilesheds. The graphic representation for this record includes an area of probable clay pits within the adjacent Tileshed Wood.

Historic Ordnance Survey map evidence shows a Coal Depot on the Team Colliery Wagonway at this location (HER ref. 3741).

Historic Ordnance Survey map evidence shows a Quarry at this location.

An Old Coal Pit and Sheriff Hill Old Engine are shown on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey plan, so were probably out of use by 1857.

This Quarry is marked as ‘Old’ on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey plan, so was out of use by 1857.

Historic Ordnance Survey map evidence shows the position of Quarry Pit (Coal).

Historic Ordnance Survey map evidence shows the position of North Pit (Coal).

Historic Ordnance Survey map evidence shows the position of Corner Pit (Coal).