Lambton Collieries

Lambton Collieries

Company type	Private
Industry	Coal mining
Founded	1820
Founder	John Lambton (grandson)
Defunct	1947
Fate	Nationalised under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, became part of the National Coal Board
Headquarters	County Durham , England
Area served	County Durham, England
Products	Coal

Lambton Collieries was a privately held coal mining enterprise situated in County Durham, England.

History

The company's designation derives from Lambton Castle, the historic residence of the Lambton lineage.

Coal mining in this region dates back to the 17th century, with commercial ventures initiated by John Lambton around the Wear Valley. Starting in 1783, seven shafts were developed in Bournmoor, creating what became known as Lambton Colliery.

The formal establishment of the company occurred when Lambton's grandson, John Lambton, took a seat in Parliament as a member of the Whig party. In 1896, the business adopted the name Lambton Collieries.

In 1910, it combined operations with Hetton Collieries to form Lambton & Hetton Collieries. Subsequently, in 1924, it merged with Joicey Collieries, resulting in Lambton, Hetton & Joicey Collieries.

Following nationalisation under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946 in 1947, the company became part of the National Coal Board.

Lambton Railway

To facilitate coal transport to the River Wear, a horse-drawn tramway was constructed between Fatfield and Cox Green in 1737. The company expanded its network in 1819 by acquiring the Newbottle wagonway and connecting it to the Lambton Railway between Bournmoor and Philadelphia, thus establishing a direct link to Lambton Staithes at the Port of Sunderland.

Steam locomotives were introduced in 1814 with 0-6-0T engines. Due to challenging gradients over Warden Law (elevation 570 ft), rope-incline systems powered by stationary engines remained operational until 1864. By 1860, Lambton managed approximately 70 miles of track, making it the largest colliery railway network in northeast England. Over a twenty-year period, steam locomotion became predominant.

The creation of the North Eastern Railway in 1854 connected Darlington to Newcastle via the Leamside Line. A branch line extending from to Sunderland opened in 1865, enabling running rights agreements that prompted Lambton to acquire more robust 0-6-0 tender locomotives suitable for mainline operations.

After merging with Hetton Collieries in 1911, Lambton gained control over the Hetton Railway, originally engineered by George Stephenson for steam traction but largely operated by rope-incline. Access to the Lambton Railway rendered Hetton's rope-incline system obsolete; nevertheless, interconnections between their staithes within the docks were preserved.

The 1924 amalgamation with Joicey Collieries brought control of the Beamish Railway, which continued functioning independently.

Significant closures included the Hetton Railway via Warden Law in 1959, followed by shutdowns of Lambton Staithes and the Pallion line in 1967.

Collieries

Name	Location	Sunk	Depth	Closed	Notes
Lambton A	Bournmoor	1783
Lambton B	Bournmoor
Lambton C	Bournmoor
Lambton D	Bournmoor
Lambton E	Bournmoor
Adolphus Pit	High Pittington	1826			Named for Lord Adolphus Vane-Tempest, son of the Marquess of Londonderry. Served by Sherburnhouse branch of the Lambton Railway
Londonderry Pit	High Pittington	1828			Named after the Marquess of Londonderry

External links

• Lambton Collieries information at Durham Mining Museum
• Official site of the Lambton Locomotives Trust