Ramblings from Hazlerigg (part 1 of 2)

When I published my Newcastle-upon-Tyne: Tales from the Suburbs book back in 2023, I included a short article about the coalmining comings and goings in Hazlerigg. I had no idea that I would very soon find myself temporarily living in the suburb (yes, still in between houses, I’m afraid); and, consequently, I now find myself wandering around the streets and surrounding countryside of my new ‘home’ and studying old maps to see what interesting historical bits and bobs I can pick up.

The first thing any of us history nuts do when we are looking into the history of a ‘new’ environment is, of course, have a browse of the old Ordnance Survey maps (available on the NLS website). Upon doing so I was somewhat disappointed to discover that the relatively new housing estate on which I was briefly staying occupied land that appeared to have nothing much of interest sited there, well, ever. We’re talking about the land immediately north of Coach Lane, a little to the west of Hazlerigg village itself. Two or three farmsteads and/or houses was about the extent of it, and acres of gently rolling, undisturbed pasture.

Then I came upon this archaeological report from a few short years ago. It seems the house developers commissioned the investigations prior to the commencement of building work. How interesting!

To save you the trouble of reading the 100-page effort, I shall summarise it my own amateurish way, thus:

The land upon which the Havannah Park/Oakwood Grange housing estate now sits - between Hazlerigg village to the east and Morley Hill Farm to the west - has, it seems, been hosting human activity since the Mesolithic era (that is, 5,000+ years ago), with activity continuing, sporadically, through every age since. Not much, though, seems to have happened after the mid-Roman period. Stone tools were found from the Mesolithic, as well as an axe-head from the Neolithic, a Bronze Age arrowhead, followed by significant Iron Age and early Romano-British settlement. Remarkable.

Best of all were the remains of three rectilinear enclosed settlements and one unenclosed settlement that likely functioned as farmsteads for extended family or kin groups. Radiocarbon dating places this activity to between the 4th century BC to the early 2nd century AD. There were ditches, roundhouses, pits, post-holes, gullies, pottery, animal bones, in addition to all those bits and pieces already mentioned. As well as evidence of domestic activity, ceremonial practices also took place. The evidence for farming was likely subsistence-level only; and the ditches and gullies suggested a certain amount of protective measures were taken by our ancestors as were, most certainly, water management/drainage practices.

My very limited research has not revealed much in the way of evidence of post-Roman activity; but the area burst back to life in the late Victorian era when coal mining investigative procedures spread into the zone in question. As I said in my 2023 book:

“The Hazlerigg we know today didn’t exist before the search for coal began there c.1890. The colliery opened in 1892, and made use of the old Fawdon Waggonway which just happened to be passing close by. The workings were centred on the now wooded land on the south side of Coach Lane, directly opposite the Bellway/Miller Homes new-build estate (‘Havannah Park’/’Oakwood Grange’).

(click on image to enlarge)

Ordnance Survey (1913)

Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland

(Note that Morley Hill Farm, as referred to in the above-mentioned archaeological report, is shown top left. The recent housing estates have popped up in the two large fields to the east of the farm)

“New housing wasn’t especially quick to appear, despite the fact that in 1902 there were over 1,000 men employed at the colliery. Not until the interwar years did folk begin living there in large numbers – but as early as the 1960s deep mine workings in the vicinity had to stop due to subsidence concerns for the nearby developing airport. The colliery closed in 1964.

“Prior to the closure, though, in 1950, a drift mine had been opened on the land to the west of the old colliery. This was named Havannah Drift Mine, after a nearby farmstead (which used to be situated almost exactly on the eastern extremity of the airport runway!), and continued in production into the 1970s. Coal reserves then began to run low and the mine was wound up in 1977. The baths building still remains, forming part of an insulation manufactory. Most of the site, though, has since been landscaped and is now known as the ‘Havannah and Three Hills Nature Reserve’.”

The 1967 OS map shows the two mines in question during their brief overlap period:

Ordnance Survey (1967)

Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland

As well as the two mines (old Hazlerigg Colliery to the right, and the newer Havannah Drift Mine to the left), Morley Hill Farm is top-centre, and the two large fields of archaeological interest to the farm’s right. Out of interest, the Newcastle Airport runway starts to the left (west) of Havannah farmstead at the left of picture.

It all leaves me gasping for more, but I think we shall have to leave it there for now. Next time, though, we shall have one last look at Hazlerigg before my brief tenancy runs out…