Pontop Hall Colliery (1861 - 1980)

Pontop Hall Colliery (aka South Medomsley Colliery), located to the south-west of Pontop Hall, near Dipton, was established in 1861 and it's Annie Pit was sunk by 1864. The colliery also included Coronation Drift Mine, Main Coal Drift Mine and Mary Pit (sunk 1867). At it's peak, in 1910 there were 573 men and boys employed by the Colliery (470 working below ground and 103 working at the surface).[1] The Colliery operated until July 1980. Much of the site of the colliery is now wooded; derelict sheds can be seen, which are said to be the old stables for the pit ponies.

In 1864 the South Medomsley Coal Company sunk a shaft known as the Annie pit, and in 1867 a second shaft, called the Mary, was sunk, and are now working the Hutton seam, 46 fathoms deep, and 6 feet 6 inches in thickness ; the Low Hutton, 48½ fathoms, 2 feet 2 inches ; the Main Coal, 54 fathoms, 4 feet 7 inches ; the Harvey, 75½ fathoms, 2 feet ; the Busty, 91 fathoms, .....The clay from the Busty is made into fire-brick on the spot. There are 217 coke ovens, 53 of which are only in operation at present. The weekly output is about 1700 tons, giving employment to 211 men and boys. In 1893 an ancient wooden spade was found in the old workings of the Hutton seam.

Directory of County Durham (Whellan, 1894)