Historic England research records

Historic England Research Records

Washington F Pit
Hob Uid: 1029557
Location : Sunderland Non Civil Parish
Grid Ref : NZ3021057436
Summary : This colliery site includes an early 20th century colliery engine house, in situ engine and steel lattice headgear at Washington F Pit, Albany. The Washington F Pit was sunk in 1777 and raised coal until an explosion led to its abandonment in 1796. The pit was re-opened in 1820, deepened in 1857 and remodelled around 1903. The engine house was built in 1926 and housed a second-hand engine built by the Grange Iron Company of Durham in 1888. The colliery reached a peak of production during the mid-20th century but was finally closed in 1968. The site was cleared soon after and the engine house was presented to the people of Washington as a monument. It was opened as a museum in 1976. The engine house itself is of red brick, rectangular in plan, with a hipped Welsh slate roof. The headgear springs from a steel cross beam above the doors. A blocked square opening below the beam and a small dormer window in the hip of the roof formerly allowed the twin headgear pulleys to be wound by a wire rope from a single drum located at the east end of the building. Internally the engine house is a single tall storey, with king-post double tie-beam roof, divided into two floors by a cast iron balcony which allowed access to the drum and engine. The in situ engine is a steam powered horizontal twin-cylinder engine capable of 500 horse power. The engine and drum are maintained in full working order though the engine is now operated by electricity. A section of headframe, now ex situ and situated to the south east, formerly operated as a guide for the ropes vertically over the shaft.
More information : Part of the Washington F Pit site including the colliery engine house is scheduled (1) The winding house is Listed grade II, for details of the Listed Description please consult the Listed Building System. (2) Washington F Pit is situated at around NZ 3021 5744. It includes a red-brick 2-storey horizontal engine house of 4 by 3 bays, with a hipped slate roof. The building contains an in-situ 1888 twin-cylinder steam engine built by the Grange Iron Company. A single steel lattice headgear stands to the east. The site closed as a working pit in 1968. (3) The website of the Washington F-Pit Museum includes a short history of the site and full visitor information. (4) This early 20th century winding engine and winding gear is visible in its context on historical air photos. It is now the only element of the Washington Colliery that still survives. Other elements of the colliery are recorded in 1628652. (5-6)

Sources :

Source Number : 1
Source :
Source details : 29-Sep-98
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 2
Source :
Source details : Sunderland 15-JUL-1985
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 3
Source :
Source details : The Coal Industry, 1994, Tyne and Wear 1
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 4
Source :
Source details : 2007-2008 Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums "Washington F Pit" <> [Accessed 05-AUG].
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 5
Source :
Source details : RAF/CPE/UK/2352 RP 3300 04-OCT-1947 HISTORIC ENGLAND ARCHIVE
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Source Number : 6
Source :
Source details : NEXT PERSPECTIVES APGB IMAGERY 26-AUG-2019
Page(s) :
Figs. :
Plates :
Vol(s) :

Monument Types:

Monument Period Name : Post Medieval
Display Date : Colliery established
Monument End Date : 1777
Monument Start Date : 1777
Monument Type : Colliery
Evidence : Subterranean Feature

Monument Period Name : Post Medieval
Display Date : Built in 1888
Monument End Date : 1888
Monument Start Date : 1888
Monument Type : Steam Engine
Evidence : Structure

Monument Period Name : 20th Century
Display Date : Built in 1926
Monument End Date : 1926
Monument Start Date : 1926
Monument Type : Winder House, Winding Gear
Evidence : Extant Building, Structure

Monument Period Name : 20th Century
Display Date : Closed in 1968
Monument End Date : 1968
Monument Start Date : 1968
Monument Type : Winder House, Winding Gear
Evidence : Extant Building, Structure

Monument Period Name : 20th Century
Display Date : Opened as museum in 1976
Monument End Date : 1976
Monument Start Date : 1976
Monument Type : Museum
Evidence : Extant Building

Components and Objects:

Related Records from other datasets:

External Cross Reference Source : NBR Index Number
External Cross Reference Number : 93566
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (National No.)
External Cross Reference Number : 30925
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : Listed Building List Entry Legacy Uid
External Cross Reference Number : 303228
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : NZ 35 NW 29
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : OASIS ID
External Cross Reference Number : alisonde1-410218
External Cross Reference Notes :

Related Warden Records :

Associated Monuments :
Relationship type : General association

Related Activities :