Herrington Colliery (Philadelphia)

Opened by Earl of Durham in 1874. There were two pits - No.1 and No. 2. Taken over by Lambton Collieries Ltd in 1896, then by Lambton and Hetton Collieries Ltd, then Lambton, Hetton and Joicey Collieries Ltd until 1947 when the National Coal Board took over. Whellan reports that in 1894, the daily output was 1000 tons of coal, and there were 800 employees. New Herrington was apparently a "populous" colliery village with a chapel of the Bible Christians and a Christian Lay Church. There was also a lecture hall to seat 450 people, Co-operative stores, billiard, recreation and reading rooms. The Earl of Durham erected St Cuthbert's National School for 700 children. In the twentieth century there was a shortage of grass to use for pony feed. The first experimental plant for making straw pulp to feed young ponies was set up at the pont farm of Herrington Colliery in August 1941. The plant pickled chopped straw in caustic soda to break up the woody skin, to create a pulp which could be fed to ponies instead of a portion of oats or hay. Later in 1941 an underground plant was set up at the pit to provide food for the ponies in fulltime work.