Woodhorn, part of Museums Northumberland and formerly known as Woodhorn Colliery Museum, is located in

Ashington Ashington is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, with a population of 27,864 at the 2011 Census. It was once a centre of the coal mining industry. The town is north of Newcastle upon Tyne, west of the A189 and bordered to the ...

Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land ...

, England. The museum depicts the lives of

coal mine Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...

workers and features original buildings and equipment from the former

colliery Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...

, including the two headframes, a winding house, other engine houses, a steam

winding engine A winding engine is a stationary engine used to control a cable, for example to power a mining hoist at a pit head. Electric hoist controllers have replaced proper winding engines in modern mining, but use electric motors that are also tradit ...

, stables, a building with

ventilation Ventilation may refer to: * Ventilation (physiology), the movement of air between the environment and the lungs via inhalation and exhalation ** Mechanical ventilation, in medicine, using artificial methods to assist breathing *** Ventilator, a m ...

equipment, a

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such as gates, gr ...

and

joiner A joiner is an artisan and tradesperson who builds things by joining pieces of wood, particularly lighter and more ornamental work than that done by a carpenter, including furniture and the "fittings" of a house, ship, etc. Joiners may work in ...

s shop, and the office. Several buildings contain original equipment and mining exhibits, while others have been converted to museum exhibit areas or wedding, conference and event facilities. In addition to exhibits about the mine and the life of a miner, the museum features a permanent collection of art created by the Ashington Group. There are also changing exhibits of history, art and science.

Woodhorn Museum architecture

The museum was first opened in 1989 but following major redevelopment with chief architect Tony Kettle, the museum reopened in October 2006. Now the buildings are protected with listed status and the location is recognised as a

scheduled monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...

as it is the most well preserved example of a late 19th- to early 20th-century colliery in the North East of England. Kettle was inspired by monster coal cutting machines when redeveloping the new building, the Cutter, which sits alongside the original colliery buildings. The architecture and the museum contents, through displays, paintings, temporary exhibitions and archives tell Northumberland's story.

Woodhorn Railway

Narrow gauge railway at Woodhorn (geograph 4713373)

Woodhorn Narrow Gauge Railway Woodhorn Railway is a long railway on narrow-gauge track. The line runs from Woodhorn, Northumberland, England, to a restaurant in the car park of the QE2 lake. History of the railway In 1991, the Woodhorn Museum and Northumberland Archi ...

is a

narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structu ...

railway at Woodhorn in the Queen Elizabeth II Country Park. There are two preserved locomotives. One is a Hunslet Locomotive, which was built in 1975 for work at Vane Tempest colliery in

Seaham Seaham is a seaside town in County Durham, England. Located on the Durham Coast, Seaham is situated south of Sunderland and east of Durham. The town grew from the late 19th century onwards as a result of investments in its harbour and ...

. The second is a German Schoma locomotive, called Edward Stanton, which was used in the factory where the concrete sections were made for the Channel Tunnel. There are also three carriages called Eddie, Harry and Ken. They and the Schoma are named after original members of the society. The park also features a lake and hiking and biking trails.

History

The original colliery in the village of

Woodhorn Woodhorn is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Newbiggin by the Sea, in Northumberland, England, about east of Ashington. In 1931 the parish had a population of 219. The village is sometimes identified with Wucestre, giv ...

opened in 1894 and closed in 1981. The Woodhorn Colliery Museum opened in 1989, using the original pit buildings. The pit yard was designated a

in 1999. From 2002-2006 new construction created a new museum building that includes the Northumberland County Archives.

References

External links

Woodhorn Museum - Museum in AshingtonWoodhorn Museum
{{Authority control Museums in Northumberland Railway museums in England Mining museums in England Art museums and galleries in Northumberland Coal mines in England Country parks in Northumberland Archives in Northumberland Museums established in 1989 Ashington