Buildings
Blackfell Hauler House
Blackfell Hauler House in Eighton Banks, Gateshead, dates from 1913 and contained an engine used to haul wagons up and down the steep railway to and from Kibblesworth.
At a glance
- Blackfell Hauler House is one of only two remaining hauler houses on the Bowes Railway line that was used to transport coal from the North Durham coalfields up to the Tyne.
- It was added in 1913 to replace the previous hauler engine on site as stronger equipment was now needed to haul the larger wagons up the steep railway.
- The hauler house was no longer in use after 1970 when coal transportation ceased along this route.
- In the decades between 1970 and 2013, the site was affected heavily by anti-social behaviour, vandalism and theft.
2015 – Today
Our work
From 2013-2015, T+WBPT oversaw a 2-year restoration project that now enables the building to be used as a workshop.
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The building’s condition in 2008.
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Repairs in progress at the site.
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The rope on the winding drum as it would have looked in action.
The Trust secured the building from the Bowes Railway Trust in 2013
By this time, the building was close to collapse, but we raised funding and worked with specialists over 2 years to protect the integrity of the building and secure the site.
Further work on the building included removing graffiti and other signs of vandalism but, in 2018, we also received a grant from Historic England to restore the surviving winding works.
This project had taken over 40 years, we’ve been involved for the past six. The day I pulled the architect through the hole in the wall in the building was the day I realised the project had to work.
Martin hulse, Trust Manager on winning a Historic England Angel Award for the project in 2015.
1893 – 2015
History
The building was built in 1913 to house the stronger hauler engine now needed on the Bowes Railway.
In 1950, the equipment was electrified.
In 1970, the building and its engine were no longer in use and started to become derelict.
In 2013, the Trust began restoration.
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