Shaft, marked as Old on the 1st edition OS mapping, so out of use by 1856. The name "Bail Hill" also indicates early lead working. A bole, bale, bail or bayle hill was a shallow open-air furnace used when smelting galena. It was a circular pit one or two metres wide, with a sloping base - so molten lead would form, collect and solidify in a pool. Around the edge was a wall with gaps in it to allow the wind to fan the flames. They were built on hills to take advantage of strong wind. Crushed galena was placed on top of wood fuel. The fuel was set alight and as the ore was chemically reduced to lead it was collected in the hollow. Bellows could be used to fan the flames. Bail hills were used in the Medieval period, until they were replaced in the 16th century by smelt furnaces. In the 18th century smelting in cupolas (reverberatory furnace) took place. Remains of bolehills usually comprise a circular burnt area of ground with bits of fuel and Galena in black soil and pieces of slag piled up on one side. The nearest lead orefield to Chopwell is in the North Pennines (Allendale to Baldersdale). The lead was brought along the 'Ledehepes Way', a ridgeway running from Blanchland, through Hedley Fell and Leadgate for export from Blaydon or Swalwell. As early as the 1150s the ridgeway demarcated the northern boundary of Chopwell. There were also bail hills near Winlaton Blanchland, Stanhope, Wolsingham (Baal hill) and Mickleton. In the 1420s lead from Weardale was brought along a road through another Leadgate near modern Consett, to its staiths at Swalwell. By 1510 the Tyne's annual export of lead had reduced to only 30 tons. Rising demand in the reign of Elizabeth, found new sources of lead. From 1567 to 1593, over 100 tons of 'Newcastle lead' came from Mickleton on the Tees. Lead refining at Blaydon and Swalwell is likely to have had a long but intermittent existence. A survey of bridges in 1615 by Durham Justices shows the lead roads. See HER 3320.
Site Type: Broad
Furnace
SITEDESC
Shaft, marked as Old on the 1st edition OS mapping, so out of use by 1856. The name "Bail Hill" also indicates early lead working. A bole, bale, bail or bayle hill was a shallow open-air furnace used when smelting galena. It was a circular pit one or two metres wide, with a sloping base - so molten lead would form, collect and solidify in a pool. Around the edge was a wall with gaps in it to allow the wind to fan the flames. They were built on hills to take advantage of strong wind. Crushed galena was placed on top of wood fuel. The fuel was set alight and as the ore was chemically reduced to lead it was collected in the hollow. Bellows could be used to fan the flames. Bail hills were used in the Medieval period, until they were replaced in the 16th century by smelt furnaces. In the 18th century smelting in cupolas (reverberatory furnace) took place. Remains of bolehills usually comprise a circular burnt area of ground with bits of fuel and Galena in black soil and pieces of slag piled up on one side. The nearest lead orefield to Chopwell is in the North Pennines (Allendale to Baldersdale). The lead was brought along the 'Ledehepes Way', a ridgeway running from Blanchland, through Hedley Fell and Leadgate for export from Blaydon or Swalwell. As early as the 1150s the ridgeway demarcated the northern boundary of Chopwell. There were also bail hills near Winlaton Blanchland, Stanhope, Wolsingham (Baal hill) and Mickleton. In the 1420s lead from Weardale was brought along a road through another Leadgate near modern Consett, to its staiths at Swalwell. By 1510 the Tyne's annual export of lead had reduced to only 30 tons. Rising demand in the reign of Elizabeth, found new sources of lead. From 1567 to 1593, over 100 tons of 'Newcastle lead' came from Mickleton on the Tees. Lead refining at Blaydon and Swalwell is likely to have had a long but intermittent existence. A survey of bridges in 1615 by Durham Justices shows the lead roads. See HER 3320.
Site Name
Bail Hill
Site Type: Specific
Bolehill
HER Number
3349
Form of Evidence
Documentary Evidence
Sources
<< HER 3349 >> 1st edition Ordnance Survey Map, c.1855, 6 inch scale, Durham, 5; D. Kiernan and Robert van de Noort, 'Bole smelting in Derbyshire' in L. Willies and D. Cranstone (eds.), Boles and Smeltmills (Historical Metallurgy Society, 1992), 19-21; R. F. Tylecote, A History of Metallurgy (2nd edn, Institute of Materials, London 1992), 90 113.
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bole_hill"; Eric Clavering and Alan Rounding, 1995, Early Tyneside Industrialism: The lower Derwent and Blaydon Burn Valleys 1550-1700, Archaeologia Aeliana, Series 5, Vol XXIII, page 253; W. Bourn, 1896, History of the Parish of Ryton, pp 171-2; L. Drury, 1987, Leadworks in Weardale 1423-5; VCH Durham II, p 350; CM Fraser, 1987, Accounts of the Chamberlains of Newcastle on Tyne 1508-1511; Durham Record Office D/St/B/2/142-145
YEAR1
1994
YEAR2
2011
English, British
Class
Industrial
COMP1
Truman L.P.H
DAY1
09
District
Outside
Easting
411160
EASTING2
0
Grid ref figure
8
Map Sheet
NZ15NW
MONTH1
8
Grid Reference
NZ
Northing
559550
NORTHING2
0
General Period
POST MEDIEVAL
Specific Period
Victorian 1837 to 1901
Place
Chopwell
Description
A Smithy is shown at this location on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey plan.
SITEASS
The smithy or forge was the workplace of a blacksmith or ironsmith, where iron was worked into useful objects such as weapons, armour in the Middle Ages and locks, hinges, spades and tools, iron horseshoes (machine-made horseshoes were introduced from USA in 1870s), grilles, gates, railings, metal parts for locomotives, coaches, waggons and carts. The blacksmith's raw material was wrought iron in bar form. The smithy comprised a hearth, bellows, anvil and bosh (quenching trough). A small forge had hand-operated bellows, a large industrial forge water-powered bellows, power hammer and shears (William Jones, 1996, Dictionary of Industrial Archaeology).
Site Type: Broad
Metal Industry Site
SITEDESC
Smithy shown on 1st edition Ordnance Survey map.
Site Name
Chopwell, Smithy
Site Type: Specific
Blacksmiths Workshop
HER Number
3348
Form of Evidence
Documentary Evidence
Sources
<< HER 3348 >> 1st edition Ordnance Survey Map, c.1855, 6 inch scale, Durham, 5
YEAR1
1994
English, British
Class
Industrial
COMP1
Truman L.P.H
DAY1
09
District
Gateshead
Easting
411690
EASTING2
0
Grid ref figure
8
Map Sheet
NZ15NW
MONTH1
8
Grid Reference
NZ
Northing
559920
NORTHING2
0
General Period
POST MEDIEVAL
Specific Period
Victorian 1837 to 1901
Place
Chopwell
Description
This Shaft is marked as ‘Old’ on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey plan, so was probably out of use by 1856.
Site Type: Broad
Mining Industry Site
SITEDESC
Shaft, marked as Old on the 1st edition OS mapping, so out of use by 1856.
Site Name
Chopwell, Shaft
Site Type: Specific
Mine Shaft
HER Number
3347
Form of Evidence
Documentary Evidence
Sources
<< HER 3347 >> 1st edition Ordnance Survey Map, c.1855, 6 inch scale, Durham, 5
YEAR1
1994
English, British
Class
Industrial
COMP1
Truman L.P.H
DAY1
09
District
Gateshead
Easting
412310
EASTING2
0
Grid ref figure
8
Map Sheet
NZ16SW
MONTH1
8
Grid Reference
NZ
Northing
560020
NORTHING2
0
General Period
POST MEDIEVAL
Specific Period
Victorian 1837 to 1901
Place
Chopwell
Description
This Shaft is marked as ‘Old’ on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey plan, so was probably out of use by 1856.
Site Type: Broad
Mining Industry Site
SITEDESC
Shaft, marked as Old on the 1st edition OS mapping, so out of use by 1856.
Site Name
Chopwell, Shaft
Site Type: Specific
Mine Shaft
HER Number
3346
Form of Evidence
Documentary Evidence
Sources
<< HER 3346 >> 1st edition Ordnance Survey Map, c.1855, 6 inch scale, Durham, 5
YEAR1
1994
English, British
Class
Industrial
COMP1
Truman L.P.H
DAY1
09
District
Gateshead
Easting
413020
EASTING2
0
Grid ref figure
8
Map Sheet
NZ16SW
MONTH1
8
Grid Reference
NZ
NMRNUMBER
NZ 16 SW 58
Northing
560960
NORTHING2
0
General Period
POST MEDIEVAL
Specific Period
Victorian 1837 to 1901
Place
Chopwell
Description
This Shaft is marked as ‘Old’ on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey plan, so was probably out of use by 1856.
Site Type: Broad
Mining Industry Site
SITEDESC
Shaft, marked as Old on the 1st edition OS mapping, so out of use by 1856.
Site Name
Chopwell, Shaft
Site Type: Specific
Mine Shaft
HER Number
3345
Form of Evidence
Documentary Evidence
Sources
<< HER 3345 >> 1st edition Ordnance Survey Map, c.1855, 6 inch scale, Durham, 5
YEAR1
1994
English, British
Class
Industrial
COMP1
Truman L.P.H
DAY1
09
District
Gateshead
Easting
411930
EASTING2
0
Grid ref figure
8
Map Sheet
NZ16SW
MONTH1
8
Grid Reference
NZ
Northing
560350
NORTHING2
0
General Period
POST MEDIEVAL
Specific Period
Victorian 1837 to 1901
Place
Chopwell
Description
Quarry, marked as Old on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey plan, so out of use by 1856.
Site Type: Broad
Mineral Extraction Site
SITEDESC
Quarry, marked as Old on the 1st edition OS mapping, so out of use by 1856.
Site Name
Chopwell, Quarry
Site Type: Specific
Quarry
HER Number
3344
Form of Evidence
Documentary Evidence
Sources
<< HER 3344 >> 1st edition Ordnance Survey Map, c.1855, 6 inch scale, Durham, 5
YEAR1
1994
English, British
Class
Industrial
COMP1
Truman L.P.H
DAY1
09
District
Gateshead
Easting
411900
EASTING2
0
Grid ref figure
8
Map Sheet
NZ16SW
MONTH1
8
Grid Reference
NZ
NMRNUMBER
NZ 16 SW 75
Northing
560200
NORTHING2
0
General Period
POST MEDIEVAL
Specific Period
Victorian 1837 to 1901
Place
Chopwell
Description
This Shaft is marked as ‘Old’ on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey plan, so was probably out of use by 1856.
Site Type: Broad
Mining Industry Site
SITEDESC
Shaft, marked as Old on the 1st edition OS mapping, so out of use by 1856.
Site Name
Chopwell, Shaft
Site Type: Specific
Mine Shaft
HER Number
3343
Form of Evidence
Documentary Evidence
Sources
<< HER 3343 >> 1st edition Ordnance Survey Map, c.1855, 6 inch scale, Durham, 5
YEAR1
1994
English, British
Class
Transport
COMP1
Truman L.P.H
COMP2
Claire MacRae
DAY1
09
DAY2
29
District
Gateshead
Easting
417570
EASTING2
1014
Grid ref figure
8
Map Sheet
NZ16SW
MAP2
NZ15NW
MONTH1
8
MONTH2
4
Grid Reference
NZ
NGR2
NZ
NMRNUMBER
NZ 16 SW 54
Northing
563880
NORTHING2
5912
General Period
POST MEDIEVAL
Specific Period
Stuart 1603 to 1714
Place
Chopwell
Description
The first waggonway on the Chopwell estate was built in 1661 by Robert Clavering. From its opening, it must have ranked with Stella Grand Lease as one of the greatest collieries of the Tyne; some 50 years later both still constantly held quotas of 1400T in a series of Regulations. However, in the first decade of the 18th century it had entered a period of rapid decline. The original southern end of the Chopwell Way seems to have been at Leadgate and in 1710 it was known as the Leadgate Way, running past Greenside to staiths at Stella. As it largely ran parallel with the Stella Grand Lease Way it paid a Bishopric wayleave under the title of ‘the Moor Way’.
By 1710 the principal workings were west of the Coalburns, near Greenside, and much further north than the original Leadgate terminal. Here the coal was of poor quality and eventually the way was redeveloped and new branches laid to Moorgate and Faws. Another branch to Chopwell village may also have been laid during this period of reorganisation and is still clear on the ground. In the second quarter of the 18th century upstream collieries such as Chopwell were deliberately run down and abandoned to lesser producers, such as Albert Silvertop. Probably because of this running down, the new Rise Moor Colliery on Hedley Fell was not joined to the Chopwell, but to the Crawcrook Way instead.
The Chopwell Way is reputed to have marked another step forward in the evolution towards the public railway. It seems to have been the first, although not the only, Newcastle waggonway to carry anything other than coal or material for pits and way. The Chopwell Way transported unrefined lead, brought by the packhorse from upper Derwentdale to Leadgate, to the refinery at Blaydon – its by-product of silver making it profitable. This traffic existed before 1688 when a dispute over a right of way is recorded. A section of the wagonway, marked as Old on the 1st edition OS mapping, so out of use by 1856.
SITEASS
Chopwell Staith lay 100m west of Caroline Terrace Stella Road; an extant brick pier north of the road bore the ongate at a height of 4m
Three trackbeds visible in Path Head Wood, east of the burn, the middle one is Chopwell Way
North of Beweshill Lane-Blaydon Burn Road crossroads is a deep cut in the sandhills which may be Chopwell’s
Coalburn Bridge battery, 60m by 3m over the Coalburn (NZ 1272 6085)
Extant battery, 2.5m, on approach to Leadgate Colliery (NZ 1138 5941)
Branch to Moorgate is visible in Leadgate Plantation as a curving shallow cut (NZ 1049 5944/NZ 1014 5910)
Battery, 150m by 2m, ends in a pit that may have been the original Chopwell Colliery (NZ 1150 5886)
Incline in Horsegate Plantation on Whitefield Branch (NZ 1232 6001) on a battery 170m long by 3m and then in a 90m by 3m cut
Site Type: Broad
Tramway Transport Site
SITEDESC
The first waggonway on the Chopwell estate was built in 1661 by Robert Clavering. From its opening, it must have ranked with Stella Grand Lease as one of the greatest collieries of the Tyne; some 50 years later both still constantly held quotas of 1400T in a series of Regulations. However, in the first decade of the 18th century it had entered a period of rapid decline. The original southern end of the Chopwell Way seems to have been at Leadgate and in 1710 it was known as the Leadgate Way, running past Greenside to staiths at Stella. As it largely ran parallel with the Stella Grand Lease Way it paid a Bishopric wayleave under the title of ‘the Moor Way’.
By 1710 the principal workings were west of the Coalburns, near Greenside, and much further north than the original Leadgate terminal. Here the coal was of poor quality and eventually the way was redeveloped and new branches laid to Moorgate and Faws. Another branch to Chopwell village may also have been laid during this period of reorganisation and is still clear on the ground. In the second quarter of the 18th century upstream collieries such as Chopwell were deliberately run down and abandoned to lesser producers, such as Albert Silvertop. Probably because of this running down, the new Rise Moor Colliery on Hedley Fell was not joined to the Chopwell, but to the Crawcrook Way instead.
The Chopwell Way is reputed to have marked another step forward in the evolution towards the public railway. It seems to have been the first, although not the only, Newcastle waggonway to carry anything other than coal or material for pits and way. The Chopwell Way transported unrefined lead, brought by the packhorse from upper Derwentdale to Leadgate, to the refinery at Blaydon – its by-product of silver making it profitable. This traffic existed before 1688 when a dispute over a right of way is recorded. A section of the wagonway, marked as Old on the 1st edition OS mapping, so out of use by 1856.
Site Name
Chopwell Way
Site Type: Specific
Wagonway
HER Number
3342
Form of Evidence
Documentary Evidence
Sources
<< HER 3342 >> 1st edition Ordnance Survey Map, c.1855, 6 inch scale, Durham, 5
G. Bennett, E. Clavering & A. Rounding, 1990, A Fighting Trade - Rail Transport in Tyne Coal 1600-1800
Lancashire County Record Office -LRO DDTo E5
Public Records Office, Chancery Lane, London, 18th century 1094/4
Neasham, 1893, p 270 see A Fighting Trade, Vol 1 p58
Publications of the Surtees Society, 178
Newcastle University Library, NUL MSS Misc 10
Gateshead Library Local Studies, GPL G/CK/11/56
Public Records Office, Chancery Lane, London, 18th century 1094/4
Northumberland Records Office, M17 197C
Gateshead Library Local Studies GPL G/EA 35/6
Gateshead Library Local Studies, GPL G/BP 3/165
Durham Records Office, D/St/B1 20/168-9
Raistrick, 1968, Quakers in Science and Industry, 168-72, 176-82
Public Records Office, Chancery Lane, London, E134/2WmM/Trin 15
Newcastle University Library, NUL Misc. MSS 10 94
Gateshead Library Local Studies, GPL G/CK/11/11
Newcastle University Library, NUL Misc 10 76
Northumberland Records Office, ZCE 10/2
Newcastle University Library, NUL Misc. 10 173
Leadgate Waggonway, 1710, Gateshead Library Local Studies, GPL CK/11/56
Chopwell Estate of John Clavering, 1721, Northumberland Records Office, 309/M 142
Dept. Pal. & Dip. Durham, 1793, The Chopwell Estate of Earl Cowper, DUPD, Gibson, 110
1826, Greenside Colliery and Waggonway, -Durham Records Office, NCB I/RS 770
Waggonways on South Bank of Tyne -Durham Records Office D/St/P17/2
Plan of the Collieries on the Rivers Tyne and Wear -Gateshead Library Local Studies, GPL CAB A1/10
W. Casson, 1801, Plan showing Collieries and Waggonways on the rivers Tyne and Wear -Gateshead Library Local Studies, GPL CAB A1/4
R. L Galloway, 1898, Annals of Coal Mining and the Coal Trade, Vol 1, pp 373-4
Waggonways and Railways of North-West Durham -Durham Records Office, D/CG 6/1435
1721, Chopwell Estate of John Clavering -Northumberland Records Office, 309/M 142
A. Williams, 2004, A Fighting Trade - Review and mapping of routes; unpublished document for Tyne & Wear Heritage Environment Record; Alan Williams Archaeology, 2013, Waggonways to the South Bank of the River Tyne and to the River Wear; Turnbull, L, 2012, Railways Before George Stephenson (entry 67) 155, 171; Simpson's map of 1721, NRO 309/M142; Fryer's map of 1793 (DUPD: Gibson 110)
YEAR1
1994
YEAR2
2015
English, British
Class
Industrial
COMP1
Truman L.P.H
DAY1
09
District
Gateshead
Easting
412580
EASTING2
0
Grid ref figure
8
Map Sheet
NZ16SW
MONTH1
8
Grid Reference
NZ
Northing
560350
NORTHING2
0
General Period
POST MEDIEVAL
Specific Period
Victorian 1837 to 1901
Place
Chopwell
Description
Historic Ordnance Survey map evidence shows a Quarry at this location.
Site Type: Broad
Mineral Extraction Site
SITEDESC
Quarry.
Site Name
Chopwell, Quarry
Site Type: Specific
Quarry
HER Number
3341
Form of Evidence
Documentary Evidence
Sources
<< HER 3341 >> 1st edition Ordnance Survey Map, c.1855, 6 inch scale, Durham, 5
YEAR1
1994
English, British
Class
Industrial
COMP1
Truman L.P.H
DAY1
09
District
Gateshead
Easting
413410
EASTING2
0
Grid ref figure
8
Map Sheet
NZ16SW
MONTH1
8
Grid Reference
NZ
NMRNUMBER
NZ 16 SW 58
Northing
561050
NORTHING2
0
General Period
POST MEDIEVAL
Specific Period
Victorian 1837 to 1901
Place
High Spen
Description
This Shaft is marked as ‘Old’ on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey plan, so was probably out of use by 1856.
Site Type: Broad
Mining Industry Site
SITEDESC
A Shaft, marked as Old on the 1st edition OS mapping, so out of use by 1856.
Site Name
High Spen, Shaft
Site Type: Specific
Mine Shaft
HER Number
3340
Form of Evidence
Documentary Evidence
Sources
<< HER 3340 >> 1st edition Ordnance Survey Map, c.1855, 6 inch scale, Durham, 5