Durham Heritage Trail, Countryfile

[ChrisS]

Sunday 23rd Jan... Countryfile's Matt Baker and Anita Rani presented the Durham Heritage Trail and how we've seen a massive improvement where the Dawdon Pit spewed millions of tons of pit waste into the sea causing terrible marine/eco damage as far out as 7km. Interesting to see/hear the workings of the Dawdon water treatment plant cleaning water from the pit tunnels.

Whilst the area has substantially recovered, damage remains, for example a shelf of pit waste as seen in the programme. The area, known as Noses Point, is a family favourite, in 2019, the year before our beloved da died, we'd take him 4 or 5 times a week. Sadly alzheimers ensured he quickly forgot so we went again and again as, following a lunch of sandwiches (or sausage and bacon rolls I'd prepare on a disposable BBQ ), his calm nature held a content peace as he looked out to sea, watching ships lining up to go into the harbour. Being such a proud NE lass Countryfile gave me nostalgia tinged with melancholy.

If you're interested in the clean up process since Dawdon Pit closed in 1991, plus regeneration in other Durham Heritage Trail areas, for example the three tier Easington Pit lift cage that took 90 men to/fro the mine face used as a memorial to miners, watch Countryfile on BBC iPlayer.

[Guest]

Thanks for this Chris. I’m sure DH would love to watch this, his lovley dad was a miner from age 14 at various pits throughout the NE, ending up at Vane Tempest .
He died at 64 of Silicosis. Worked hard and played hard, a true Geordie gent, like many of them.

[ChrisS]

Anita looked nithered, not so much Matt being a County Durham bonny lad Aye, Vane Tempest in Seaham, not far from Dawdon, Vane closed in 93. Tough job NF, hubs da mined Seggy (Sacriston), Kimblesworth, Nettlesworth, said his two lads wouldn't go down the pit, they didn't but his two daughters worked for the NCB at Seggy and Team Valley - his da suffered various pit related injuries and died when he was 57. Info re the amount of underground water pumped out/cleaned is very interesting.

The millions of tons of utter filth (2,500 tons a day at its height!) Dawdon spewed into the north sea was criminal. Next yea gan t'Noses read the board of what occurred off that coastline, including the discovery of a German U boat sunk off that area.

[Gryff]

ChrisS you doing ok down your end it’s cold here but dry

[ChrisS]

Originally Posted by Gryff

ChrisS you doing ok down your end it’s cold here but dry

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Yes thanks Helen, 40 degrees here just now at midnight, due to go to 40 by early morn, 56 the morrow, Sunday, with temps rising again beginning Monday at 66. 70 and up from Monday, ah pool weather

[novocastrian]

Will catch this on iplayaer

amazing the transformation around blast beach

loads of old pits/coke works have been transformed beyond recognition in the area

and just add massive respect to those proud hard men who worked down them hellholes all those years