East Durham : mining colonisation and the genesis of the colliery landscape, 1770-1851
The purpose of this thesis is to explore the spatial outcomes of the extension of coal mining onto the concealed coalfield of east Durham in the first half of the nineteenth century. Here, in contrast to the long-established exposed sections of the North-Eastern coalfield, raining was developed suddenly consequent upon the first successful sinkings through the Magnesian Limestone at Hetton-le-Hole between l820 and 1822.In more detail, the first objective of the work is to reconstruct the agrarian base upon which the colliery landscape was superimposed. The agrarian base is presented as a cadaster composed of patterns of landownership, landholding, settlements, fields and land-use that provided a spatial matrix within which the process of mining colonisation developed. Subsequently, the following three questions are examined: (i) to what extent did the legal relationships between the east Durham landowners and the colliery companies structure the emergent locational pattern of the colliery landscape in terms of the siting of the mines with their associated surface installations, the colliery settlements and the transport lines? (ii) what was the social structure of these rapidly-developed mining communities?
Sill, Michael
History
East Durham : mining colonisation and the genesis of the colliery landscape, 1770-1851. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the spatial outcomes of the extension of coal mining onto the concealed coalfield of east Durham in the first half of the nineteenth century. Here, in contrast to the long-established exposed sections of the North-Eastern coalfield, raining was developed suddenly consequent upon the first successful sinkings through the Magnesian Limestone at Hetton-le-Hole between l820 and 1822.In more detail, the first objective of the work is to reconstruct the agrarian base upon which the colliery landscape was superimposed. The agrarian base is presented as a cadaster composed of patterns of landownership, landholding, settlements, fields and land-use that provided a spatial matrix within which the process of mining colonisation developed. Subsequently, the following three questions are examined: (i) to what extent did the legal relationships between the east Durham landowners and the colliery companies structure the emergent locational pattern of the colliery landscape in terms of the siting of the mines with their associated surface installations, the colliery settlements and the transport lines? (ii) what was the social structure of these rapidly-developed mining communities?
east durham mining colonisation genesis colliery landscape purpose_explore spatial outcome extension coal_mining onto coalfield east durham first_half nineteenth_century contrast long_established exposed section north_eastern coalfield rain develop suddenly consequent_upon first successful limestone hole detail first objective work reconstruct agrarian base_upon colliery landscape superimpose agrarian base present compose pattern landownership landholding settlement field land_use provide spatial matrix within process mining colonisation develop subsequently follow_three question examine_extent legal relationship east durham landowner colliery company structure emergent locational pattern colliery landscape term sit mine associate surface installation colliery settlement transport line social_structure rapidly developed mining_community