Haswell, County Durham

Haswell is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated between Durham and Peterlee.

It is notable as the birthplace of English world champion road racing cyclist Tom Simpson, born 30 November 1937.

It was also the home of the world's first coal mine as we know it, being the first in the world with a steel cable down its mine shaft. This revolutionised the coal mining industry.

Haswell once had two railway stations - Haswell railway station.

Discovery of coal

The Anglo-Saxon roots of the former farming community of Haswell are apparent in its old English name – Haesel Wella or Hessewell – meaning a hazel well or spring. Indeed, the coal trucks used at Haswell Colliery many centuries later were made of hazel bands, suggesting a hazel grove may have grown nearby. The peaceful days of living off the land disappeared in the early 19th century however, once "black gold" – coal – was discovered beneath the rural landscape.

The 1833 sinking of the first shaft at Haswell Colliery, nestled between Haswell and Haswell Plough, saw hundreds of miners from around Britain flock to the area. New houses, churches, schools, pubs and shops were all built to accommodate their needs, as well as a thriving railway station – sadly now long gone.

But the miners' strike of 1844, however, left the village divided. Haswell – a blackleg pit – recruited "scabs" in place of union men,...
Read More