Geoff, I for one bow to y0oujr superior knowledge. My geography of the two counties is nil, but the circumstances of Bilton Bank seemed to fit. How wrong can I be! David Scott. -----Original Message----- From: Geoff Nicholson - Email Address: [email protected] Sent On: 06/03/2013 11:10 Sent To: [email protected] - Email Address: [email protected] Subject: Re: [NMB] coal mining village Heather: I doubt whether it was Bilton Bank, as we are looking for a village within easy cycling distence of Dunston, in the general direction of Whickham - ie southwards. While there were numerous pit villages which were abandoned and ultmately demolished once the pit closed, including those condemned under Durham County Council's unpopular "Category D" policy in the 1950s and 1960s, it would be rare indeed for the houses to be left with furniture still inside, as if the abandonment was a rushed emergency job. Occasionally, perhaps, a family would want to dispose of their furniture if moving to a nice modern house, or if the last occupant had been a single old person who was going to be taken in by the next generation, whose house was already full with their own furniture, and if it was not anticipated that the old stuff would bring anything worthwhile if sold second-hand, then it, or some of it, might have been left behind for that reason. It was not unknown for a pit village to fall victim to mining subsidence, however, but that would usually be a slow process. Even the grand houses of the coal-owners were not immune. Examples in the cycling range we are looking at might include Gibside Hall and Ravensworth Castle. Personally, I suspect that what the children had found was not a pit village at all but was Ravensworth Castle, situated within the Wall of the Ravensworth Estate, and from where its furniture was eventually sold off. If not Ravensworth and not Gibside, then I'm afraid the story of "there having been a disaster in the village" does not really help identify it, as that applied to very, very many of our local pit villages. Geoff Nicholson -----Original Message----- From: heather <[email protected]> To: northumbria <[email protected]> Sent: Wed, 6 Mar 2013 3:00 Subject: [NMB] coal mining village A social history question. . . . . Talking to my 90 year old aunt about her childhood, and she is telling me about some time in the 1930s. She and her school friends used to bicycle ride from Dunston to Whickham and beyond - perhaps in the direction of Lobley Hill. Somewhere there was a mining village where there had been a mining disaster. The whole village had been evacuated and the houses had been just left complete with furniture. They used to play on the slag heaps after climbing over a wall which was built to keep people out, and explore the empty houses. Once her mother discovered where they had been playing, they were forbidden to go there as it was too dangerous. Does anyone have any idea what village this might have been? Heather .. Please remember to snip most of the earlier message before you post any reply...... Thank you! The NORTHUMBRIA FAQ page is located at http://www.bpears.org.uk/NorthumbriaFAQ/ ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message .. Please remember to snip most of the earlier message before you post any reply...... Thank you! The NORTHUMBRIA FAQ page is located at http://www.bpears.org.uk/NorthumbriaFAQ/ ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ----- No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 10.0.1430 / Virus Database: 2641/5651 - Release Date: 03/05/13

"David Scott" <[email protected]> wrote: >I for one bow to y0oujr superior knowledge. My geography of the two >counties is nil, but the circumstances of Bilton Bank seemed to fit. >How wrong can I be! David The problem with Bilton Bank is that it was 40 miles north of Dunston, far too far for kids to cycle, and it was in the opposite direction to Whickham and Lobley Hill. Also Bilton Bank Colliery was closed in 1925 - no disaster, just closed. The village remained until 1937 when the houses were condemned and the villagers were moved out. There was no emergency evacuation however, and certainly no reason to abandon furniture. Brian -- Brian Pears (Joint List Admin - NORTHUMBRIA Mailing List)