Manufacturing
Swalwell Industries in the Fifties
Opencast Coal Disposal Point
After World War II a plant was built in Swalwell for the transfer of coal from opencast mines from road to rail. A steady stream of lorries brought the coal to the plant at the junction of Millers Lane and Long Rigg where it was screened and poured into railway wagons which would then be shunted into sidings until there were enough to make up a train which would then be coupled up to a locomotive and taken away down the short branch to join the freight line at Derwenthaugh.
Coal came from opencast sites at Cut Thorn off Fellside Road near Whickham, Horsemouth near Ravensworth, Lumley Castle, Plawsworth, Maiden Law near Lanchester and Horsley in Northumberland. When the Metro centre was extended west the facility was closed and IKEA now occupy part of the site.
J W Ellis
Near the opencast coal depot was the firm of J W Ellis which also had railway sidings, with a crane loading girders onto the railway wagons that were also taken away via Derwenthaugh. The works are still in use by other firms. Formerly called Hannington's Works and engaged in engineering and scrap handling, Ellis had offices nearby and after the firm closed they were used by Metro Radio for many years.
General Concrete Products
This firm made concrete kerbs, paving stones and many other concrete products. They were situated near the Keelman's Bridge in the heart of the village and Mr C Patterson was the manager. A large moving crane moved heavy materials around the site.
Lampblack Works
The Blacking Factory
Owned by Richard Hoyle then later by Messrs Wood & Fairweather, the works were situated on the River Derwent. It employed one foreman, three blackmakers or firemen, one warehouseman, two coopers to make casks and two wherrymen to man the wherries which carried the produce to ships for transport to countries as distant as India and Italy. Lampblack was the smoke from burning a mixture of tar and creosote oil and was used in the manufacture of paint and rubber. The mixture was fed into fires and the smoke was carried by draught into "arches". These were sealed up by iron doors at the beginning of each week and were not opened until the end of the week when men went in to rake up the deposit of soot and put it into casks. The firm closed in 1930 having opened in the early 19th century.
Messrs R and W Shield. Spade and Shovel Manufacturers.
Originally established by Thomas Shield in 1830, the works at Long Rigg were owned by Robert and William Shield and continued until the 1920's. At the time it was one of the largest in the district. The works consisted of forge and finishing departments and large consignments of shovels were supplied to collieries in Durham and Northumberland. The firm also had an increasing export trade shipping shovels to Siberia and other foreign destinations.
Trimmers shovels with their traditional triangular shape and sharp edge by which the shovel could be easily slide under the coal in a ship's hold.
Emmerson Walkers
Emmerson Walkers made windlasses and capstans for ships.
Elsie Cork's Recollections of the Dunston CWS Soap Works.
Elsie Cork, nee Muncaster, began work at the Soap Works in Dunston when she was eighteen years old. Her Mother, who was friendly with Mrs. Baxter, the wife of the Manager, managed to get her the job in the hope that Elsie would not have to go into the forces. However, in 1942 she joined the ATS
At the Soap Works Elsie did a variety of jobs, from waiting on the tables in the canteen, working in the "dry soap" department, to canvassing and finally, because the men had been called up, to checking the supplies going onto the lorries.
She remembers being paid 18 shillings a week for the 7.30am to 5.30pm job. There was a ten minute break in the morning and an hour for lunch. In bad snowy weather she would walk from Whickham to Dunston, leaving home at 6.30am.
At the Soap Works there were three departments:- the Dry Soap (washing powder such as Solvo and Paddy), the Frame Department (household soap) and the scented soap and perfumery department.
The canvassers went around the area with free samples of soap. They had a bag over their shoulders and wore a white coat and a white beret. A van would follow them with supplies. Elsie remembers often being invited into homes for a cup of tea and even for bacon and eggs!
Soap Works
The Co-operative Wholesale Society's Soap Works were sited next to the Flour Mill. The Soap Works was a further early example of reinforced concrete construction, opening on 15th February 1909. Oils used in the manufacture of soap were brought up the River Tyne from the West Indies and the West Coast of Africa. The Soap Works provided employment for many local people and catered for staff leisure pursuits including an Amateur Dramatic Society. Both the Flour Mills and the Soap Works are now closed and demolished.
CWS Flour Mills
Dunston Flour Mill
This was the most prominent building in Dunston and was built between 1887 and 1891. It was one of the first reinforced concrete buildings and electric lighting was used throughout the mills. The grain silos had a capacity of 2,500 tons and the mills produced 5,600 sacks of flour per week. Grain was imported mainly from Canada but also from Argentina, Australia and USA. All grain coming in, with the exception of local wheat, was brought up the River Tyne and unloaded into large silos at their own private wharf. Finished products were dispatched by rail.The premises were extended in 1908 with the construction of the Soap Works next to the mill.
Dunston Saw Mills. (Palmer Hall Company, Ltd.)
The Dunston Saw Mills were among the largest in the country. The firm supplied timber to builders, joiners and cabinet makers throughout the North of England. There were two circular saws in the Mills which were used to saw pit props for the many local collieries.
Dunston Power Station
Dunston Power Station
The power station was constructed in the early 1900s when the railway had to be diverted south of its original route. It was rebuilt from 1933 to 1950 for the North Eastern Supply Company, to a design by Merz and McLellan using glass, rather than brick, walls to enclose the machinery. It took water from the River Tyne for the coolers and used coal from various pits in the North Durham Coalfields such as Marley Hill. The electricity was supplied to the grid system for Cumberland to Yorkshire and north to Galashields.
Dunston Power Station was the first one in the world to use super re-heated steam.
Burn Concrete
Owned by Thomas Thompson Goulbourn
Burn concrete works
Help with information about this photograph and the firm would be appreciated.
Atlas Concrete and Stone Works Footballl Team
The picture was taken in Dunston Park before the last war. Far left, middle row, George Nealey. far right, middle row, brother Harold Nealey and 2nd from far right, middle row is another brother Wilfred Nealey. Middle row, second from the left in the photograph is Archie Thompson (Senior). Click 'Comments' for more information.
Help with information about the firm would be appreciated.
Atlas Rivet Works
The Atlas Rivet Works which belonged to Mc Farlane and Whitfield, produced one hundred tons of rivets per week and was once the largest rivet factory in England.
The firm supplied all the rivets for the Mauritania.