Virtually nothing is known of the ownership or purpose of this waggonway despite it paying a wayleave in 1690 that was as great as Crawcrook’s and more than Chopwell’s. It was first noticed in the 19th century by Bourn (1896, 87). Today, its course can be traced east of Chopwell, through Garesfield Golf Course to Greenside, where a colliery at Cow Close Farm must have been the original terminus. From there it ran roughly parallel with the Chopwell Way to staiths at Stella, east of Chopwell’s. Like the Crawcrook Way, it is not shown on the 1728 plan but it is unknown whether Cowclose colliery was still active at this time. A section of the wagonway, is marked as Old on the 1st edition OS mapping. In 1772 Albert Silvertop re-aligned the route from Greenside via Stargate to Stella which shared the chopwell Way (HER 3342).
SITEASS
Staiths filled the gap between the Chopwell staiths at Stella and those of the Winlaton Way to the east (NZ 1787 6366)
Approach to the mount is still visible between Stella Road and the Tyne, parallel to both, curving south-west at the upstream end to run east of the burn in Path Head Wood; visible further south as the highest and most easterly track of three
A 4m cut, 90m east of BP depot, may show its track
Herd House Lane must use Cowclose earthworks – 80m of low battery and 150m of cut, lowered at Herd House Cottages to join Blaydon Burn Road which Cowclose Way must have crossed on a bridge (NZ 1682 6294 and NZ 1667 6270)
One of the finest remaining single-track batteries alongside Spen Lane (NZ 1375 6109), 450m by a maximum 8m, over a stream in a 0.5m square stone culvert
Coal Burn must have been crossed by a considerable timber bridge (NZ 1351 6069), but no remains
Battery, 70m by 1.5m, in Coalburn Plantation to an old pit (NZ 1305 6044)
Curving south-west battery, beyond High Strothers Farm, takes the way over a stream (NZ 1349 6007)
A 5m battery over the Spen Burn, now the 13th tee on the Garesfield Golf Club (NZ 1330 5985)
North of the 14th hole is a 140m pull from a 75m by 5m battery (NZ 1306 5965)
The last battery is 360m on and was once 3.5m high but now infilled for a car park (NZ 1261 5937)
The lower western track in Path Head Wood is the Grandmoor Way (NZ 1768 6383)
Cutting south of Stargate shows its course (NZ 1675 6335)
Site Type: Broad
Tramway Transport Site
SITEDESC
Virtually nothing is known of the ownership or purpose of this waggonway despite it paying a wayleave in 1690 that was as great as Crawcrook’s and more than Chopwell’s. It was first noticed in the 19th century by Bourn (1896, 87). Today, its course can be traced east of Chopwell, through Garesfield Golf Course to Greenside, where a colliery at Cow Close Farm must have been the original terminus. From there it ran roughly parallel with the Chopwell Way to staiths at Stella, east of Chopwell’s. Like the Crawcrook Way, it is not shown on the 1728 plan but it is unknown whether Cowclose colliery was still active at this time. A section of the wagonway, is marked as Old on the 1st edition OS mapping. In 1772 Albert Silvertop re-aligned the route from Greenside via Stargate to Stella which shared the Chopwell Way (HER 3342).
Site Name
Cowclose Way
Site Type: Specific
Wagonway
HER Number
3339
Form of Evidence
Documentary Evidence
Sources
<< HER 3339 >> 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
W. Bourn, 1896, History of the Parish of Ryton, p 87
1784, Staiths and Waggonways at Stella -Lancashire County Record Office, LRO DDTo E5/142
1826, Greenside Colliery and Waggonway c.1826 -Durham Records Office, NCB I/RS 770
1820, Part of Stella Estate c.1820 -Durham Records Office, DX 35/14, 35/15
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; Bennett et al 1990, A Fighting Trade - Rail Transport in Tyne Coal 1600-1800, vol 1: 147 vol 2: 19; Turnbull, L, 2012, Railways Before George Stephenson (entry 68) 155, 171
YEAR1
1994
YEAR2
2015
English, British
Class
Industrial
COMP1
Truman L.P.H
DAY1
09
District
Gateshead
Easting
411740
EASTING2
0
Grid ref figure
8
Map Sheet
NZ16SW
MONTH1
8
Grid Reference
NZ
NMRNUMBER
NZ 16 SW 76
Northing
560230
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
3338
Form of Evidence
Documentary Evidence
Sources
<< HER 3338 >> 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
411780
EASTING2
0
Grid ref figure
8
Map Sheet
NZ16SW
MONTH1
8
Grid Reference
NZ
NMRNUMBER
NZ 16 SW 76
Northing
560420
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
3337
Form of Evidence
Documentary Evidence
Sources
<< HER 3337 >> 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
411570
EASTING2
0
Grid ref figure
8
Map Sheet
NZ16SW
MONTH1
8
Grid Reference
NZ
Northing
560830
NORTHING2
0
General Period
POST MEDIEVAL
Specific Period
Victorian 1837 to 1901
Place
Coalburns
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 was out of use by 1856.
Site Name
Coalburns, Shaft
Site Type: Specific
Mine Shaft
HER Number
3336
Form of Evidence
Documentary Evidence
Sources
<< HER 3336 >> 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
411590
EASTING2
0
Grid ref figure
8
Map Sheet
NZ16SW
MONTH1
8
Grid Reference
NZ
Northing
560910
NORTHING2
0
General Period
POST MEDIEVAL
Specific Period
Victorian 1837 to 1901
Place
Coalburns
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 was out of use by 1856.
Site Name
Coalburns, Shaft
Site Type: Specific
Mine Shaft
HER Number
3335
Form of Evidence
Documentary Evidence
Sources
<< HER 3335 >> 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
411560
EASTING2
0
Grid ref figure
8
Map Sheet
NZ16SW
MONTH1
8
Grid Reference
NZ
Northing
561070
NORTHING2
0
General Period
POST MEDIEVAL
Specific Period
Victorian 1837 to 1901
Place
Coalburns
Description
This Coal Pit is marked as ‘Old’ on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey plan, so was probably out of use by 1856.
Site Type: Broad
Coal Mining Site
SITEDESC
Coal Pit, marked as Old on the 1st edition OS mapping, so was out of use by 1856.
Site Name
Coalburns, Coal Pit
Site Type: Specific
Colliery
HER Number
3334
Form of Evidence
Documentary Evidence
Sources
<< HER 3334 >> 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
411550
EASTING2
0
Grid ref figure
8
Map Sheet
NZ16SW
MONTH1
8
Grid Reference
NZ
Northing
561230
NORTHING2
0
General Period
POST MEDIEVAL
Specific Period
Victorian 1837 to 1901
Place
Coalburns
Description
Historic Ordnance Survey map evidence shows Bucks Nook Quarry at this location.
Site Type: Broad
Mineral Extraction Site
SITEDESC
Bucks Nook Quarry.
Site Name
Coalburns, Bucks Nook Quarry
Site Type: Specific
Quarry
HER Number
3333
Form of Evidence
Documentary Evidence
Sources
<< HER 3333 >> 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
411730
EASTING2
0
Grid ref figure
8
Map Sheet
NZ16SW
MONTH1
8
Grid Reference
NZ
Northing
561210
NORTHING2
0
General Period
POST MEDIEVAL
Specific Period
Victorian 1837 to 1901
Place
Coalburns
Description
This Coal Pit is marked as ‘Old’ on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey plan, so was probably out of use by 1856.
Site Type: Broad
Coal Mining Site
SITEDESC
Coal Pit, marked as Old on the 1st edition OS mapping, so was out of use by 1856.
Site Name
Coalburns, Coal Pit
Site Type: Specific
Colliery
HER Number
3332
Form of Evidence
Documentary Evidence
Sources
<< HER 3332 >> 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
411940
EASTING2
0
Grid ref figure
8
Map Sheet
NZ16SW
MONTH1
8
Grid Reference
NZ
Northing
561280
NORTHING2
0
General Period
POST MEDIEVAL
Specific Period
Victorian 1837 to 1901
Place
Coalburns
Description
This Coal Pit is marked as ‘Old’ on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey plan, so was probably out of use by 1856.
Site Type: Broad
Coal Mining Site
SITEDESC
Coal Pit, marked as Old on the 1st edition OS mapping, so was out of use by 1856.
Site Name
Coalburns, Coal Pit
Site Type: Specific
Colliery
HER Number
3331
Form of Evidence
Documentary Evidence
Sources
<< HER 3331 >> 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
412320
EASTING2
0
Grid ref figure
8
Map Sheet
NZ16SW
MONTH1
8
Grid Reference
NZ
Northing
561620
NORTHING2
0
General Period
POST MEDIEVAL
Specific Period
Victorian 1837 to 1901
Place
Coalburns
Description
This Coal Level is marked as ‘Old’ on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey plan, so was probably out of use by 1856. The precise location of the site is not clear from the map evidence.
Site Type: Broad
Coal Mining Site
SITEDESC
A Coal Level, marked as Old on the 1st edition OS mapping, so probably out of use by 1856. The location of this site is not clear on the 1st edition mapping, it was just to the south of New Kyo, probably within a 100m radius of this grid reference.
Site Name
Coalburns, Coal Level
Site Type: Specific
Colliery
HER Number
3330
Form of Evidence
Documentary Evidence
Sources
<< HER 3330 >> 1st edition Ordnance Survey Map, c.1855, 6 inch scale, Durham, 5