Derwenthaugh Staithes

Image: © Andrew Curtis Taken: 1 Mar 2012

Derwenthaugh Staithes (a Geordie dialect word, pronounced 'steeths') is now part of a jetty for Derwenthaugh Marina. It is still early in the season but the number of boats here (none) may imply that the marina is not a very popular berth. This had been an important coal handling and shipping point since the mid C18th. The remains are part of the C19th staithes used by the Consett Iron Company who opened the colliery at Chopwell and transported coal along the Garesfield and Chopwell Railway. Second only to the staithes at Dunston http://www.geograph.org.uk/snippet/6403 at peak they had frontage of 340m on the Tyne and 250m on the Derwent, with room for 50 Keel boats at a time, and a handling capacity of 6000 tons. The staithes were taken over by the National Coal Board in 1947 and went out of use in 1960 having served the collieries and coke ovens at Chopwell, Garesfield, Clockburn Drift (Marley Hill) and the Derwenthaugh Coke Works http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derwenthaugh_Coke_Works which closed in 1985 http://www.twsitelines.info/Siteline.nsf/8f71f680ce308c9a802573a80061c133/72d57e1a89c3bf28802576af003e4bcd There is another photo here Image and on this external site http://newcastlephotos.blogspot.com/2010/03/derwenthaugh-staithes.html The Scotswood road bridge is in the distance.

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