Chopwell Colliery
Pit No 1 1908
Pit No 3 1908
The
Derwent Iron Company was created in 1840 to exploit the local iron
deposits. The company was reformed as the Consett Iron Company in 1864.
It was the company's exploitation of the coking coal in the valley which
led to the establishment of the mining village of Chopwell. The Consett
Iron Company opened new coke ovens at Westwood in 1872 and made a
series of boreholes in the Chopwell district, before beginning full
scale mining from two shafts at the northern end of the village. This
transformed Chopwell into a thriving mining community.
The village grew with the development of the colliery. First Wear
Street, Tyne Street and Tees Street were built next to the pit in 1895
and 1896. By 1899 Blyth Street, Severn Street and Thames Street were
completed. In 1907 Wansbeck, Trent, Mersey, Humber,Tay, Clyde, Forth,
Tweed and East Street were built. In the same year seven streets were
collectively known as "Whittonstall", named after local farms, were
built at the extreme west of Chopwell. The colliery official's houses,
Ramsay Road, Greenhead Terrace and Derwent View were better built and
more pleasantly situated.
Chopwell Colliery Band, Durham Gala
1950
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