Plea to make sure bell pit site remains

Mar 4 2010 by Neil McKay, The Journal

AN historian is fighting to preserve an historic monument to the region’s industrial heritage.

David Marrs fears plans to excavate more than half a million tons of coal from land at Bradley between Leadgate and Dipton in north west Durham will mean the loss of the site of historic bell pits.

A bell pit was a primitive method of mining coal where the coal lies near the surface on flat land. A shaft is sunk to reach the coal which is then excavated by miners transported in by means of a winch and removed by means of a bucket (much like a well). It gets its name because in cross section it resembles a bell.

Typically, no supports are used and mining continues outward until the mine becomes too dangerous (or collapses) at which point another mine is started, often in close proximity.

This type of mine was in frequent use starting as early as the 14th Century and a few continued in use until after World War One in the region around Ford, Northumberland. Bell pits often flooded due to a lack of a drainage system. This, plus the lack of supports and the likelihood for collapse, means remains of bell pits are hard to identify nowadays.