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Swalwell Collieries
Axwell Pit
Swalwell was where coal was taken out of the Axwell colliery although the winding gear and pit head buildings were located at Whickham, up the hill from Swalwell. There were railway sidings here too, where coal was loaded and taken away by rail to its destination. The pit was sometimes called Hannington's Drift.
Axwell Pit
Henry Pit
Swalwell had another colliery, called the Henry Pit, and sometimes known as 'The Low' and situated at the bottom of Milers Lane and now the site of the scrapyard. It opened about 1830 and closed in August of 1940 and was operated by Garesfield Collieries.
Henry Pit miners; 2nd from left, Gilbert Gray
who won the Military Medal.
Gilbert (Gillie) Gray won the Military Medal while serving in Northern Italy.."BRAVERY IN THE FIELD OF BATTLE" Bolzano - Northern Italy ( Alps ). On his return he was presented with a clock from the people of Swalwell. He was the only person from Swalwell ever to be awarded the MM (Military Medal).
(A third pit, Bagnall's Axwell Pit, situated near the river Derwent close to where the cokeworks were, operated only from 1878 to 1887).
Comments
Re photograph of Henry pit 1927 miners - person 2nd from left beng my wifes father - Gilbert Gray.
Also another later reference AS street trader, greengrocer operating from a hut in the backyard. Place ref address being : 95 AXWELL TERRACE.
Gillies father having rented properties from the Clavering Estates. did operate several carts in and around Swalwell.
The stables on a field over the Hikey bridge with the the rail ambankment and the river derwent bordering the field.
the other premises being the stables, which Billy Wilkin operated.
Extra info - Gilbert Gray to my own knowledge being the only person from Swalwell to be awarded the military medal ( MM )
"BRAVERY IN THE FIELD OF BATTLE" Bolzano - Northern Italy ( Aalps ). On his return he was presented with a clock from the people of Swalwell.
Posted by: colin hately at February 20, 2008 9:33 AM
Thanks for the information about Swalwell and Gilbert Gray, our website has been suitably updated.
Posted by: Whickham Web Wanderers at February 20, 2008 4:42 PM