The Northumberland Coalfield is a

coalfield A coalfield is an area of certain uniform characteristics where coal is mined. The criteria for determining the approximate boundary of a coalfield are geographical and cultural, in addition to geological. A coalfield often groups the seams of ...

in north-east England. It is continuous with the

Durham Coalfield The Durham Coalfield is a coalfield in north-east England. It is continuous with the Northumberland Coalfield to its north. It extends from Bishop Auckland in the south to the boundary with the county of Northumberland along the River Tyne in t ...

to its south. It extends from Shilbottle in the north to the boundary with County Durham along the

River Tyne The River Tyne is a river in North East England. Its length (excluding tributaries) is . It is formed by the North Tyne and the South Tyne, which converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Wate ...

in the south, beyond which is the

. The two contiguous coalfield areas were often referred to as the Durham and Northumberland Coalfield(s) or as the Great Northern Coalfield.

Coal seams

The following coal seams are recorded from the Northumberland Coalfield. They are listed here in stratigraphic order with the youngest at the top and the oldest/deepest at the bottom.British Geological Survey 1:50,000 scale geological map sheet nos 6, 9, 10, 14 (England & Wales series) ''Alnwick'', ''Rothbury'', ''Newbiggin'' & ''Morpeth'' Not all seams are named and not all occur at any one locality.

Pennine Coal Measures Group

( Westphalian) Upper Coal Measures * Killingworth * West Moor * Top Hebburn Fell * Bottom Hebburn Fell * Usworth Middle Coal Measures * Burradon * Rowlington * Top Ryhope Five-Quarter * Bottom Ryhope Five-Quarter * Ryhope Little * Top Moorland * Bottom Moorland * Ashington * High Main * Metal * Five-Quarter * Bentinck * Yard * Top Bensham * Bottom Bensham * Top Durham Low Main * Bottom Durham Low Main * Northumberland Low Main * Broomhill Main * Top Plessey * Plessey * Bottom Plessey Lower Coal Measures * Beaumont * Bottom Beaumont * Top Tilley * Tilley * Bottom Tilley * Top Busty * Bottom Busty * Three-Quarter * Stobswood New * Brockwell * Victoria * Stobswood * Marshall Green * Ganister Clay * Gubeon * Saltwick

Yoredale Group

Stainmore Formation (

Namurian The Namurian is a stage in the regional stratigraphy of northwest Europe with an age between roughly 326 and 313 Ma (million years ago). It is a subdivision of the Carboniferous system or period and the regional Silesian series. The Namurian i ...

) * Stanton * Top Netherwitton * Bottom Netherwitton * Top Coatyards * Bottom Coatyards * Little Limestone Alston Formation ( Visean) * Parrot * Townhead * Shilbottle (Acre) * Beadnell * Greenses * Blackhill * Main

References

Coal mining regions in England Geography of Northumberland Mining in Northumberland Geology of Northumberland {{mining-stub