The Blast Beach

[Barrie]

A ‘BLAST’ FROM THE PAST

Does anyone remember the Blast Beach? - the old blast beach that is. The one from the 60s, 70s & 80s … not the present homogenised, sanitised one.

Beach may be a bit of a euphemism for that particular stretch of coast. It was an almost inaccessible bay (about 3/4 mile long) running between Noses and Hawthorn Points. Hemmed in by Dawdon and Easington Collieries and guarded by near vertical cliffs.

It received all the slag and waste from both pits – including miles of tangled cables and broken conveyor belts, tons of old pit props, twisted girders and anything else they could dispose of. Not to mention the odd bicycle, bed end, wheel-less pram and a few million tons of waste rock, slate and coal.

You could live in Seaham all your life and never go there (or want to) unless you were a fisherman – then you might attempt the arduous hike and death defying ‘Nanny Goats’ path down the sheer face of those cliffs.

Got its name from the blast furnaces sited there in the 1850s producing pig iron – also got all their discharge. Further blackened by a 100 yrs of slag and coal dust, pock marked and cratered by rough seas and the elements it was a place of almost utter devastation. More like something from the First World War – Pasiondale or the Somme. It was even used in the film Alien 3 as the surface of the alien planet … (and that was after they cleaned it up).

So you can imagine what it was like. But just in case you can’t I’ve managed to research a few old pics – see my photo album. Photography was an expensive hobby in those days and the place didn’t lend itself to artistic interpretation, so you didn’t see too many artists or photographers down there (or anyone else for that matter).

Personally, I loved it just as it was. As a fisherman it was so inaccessible it wasn’t over fished. And as kids you could do anything you wanted – dig holes, smash bottles, build forts then set them on fire - whatever you liked, no one cared.

Yet despite getting a £10 million Durham Heritage make-over, and removing about a million and a half tons of colliery waste. In my opinion, all they’ve succeeded in doing is turning a totally unique piece of industrial North East history into a dirty old beach – but I accept I may be in a minority of one.

[RayScollen]

Hi Barrie ... I remember blast Beach ... I spent many a happy hour there walking up to Hawthorn Towers and through the woods that smelt of wild allium 12 months of the year (or seemed to). we would walk up through the Hawthorn woods and back along the old A19 to Dalton le Dale, cut across the fields to the top of the Golf course near the old radar station and then down to the dene and past the allotments (we always stopped at the stand pipe for a drink of water) and up to Edward Street.

Walking over the plank on the Nanny Goat path was a real test of intestinal fortitude, and I found it hard to believe the blasties could take a bike and a dog down there, then back up again with 3 or 4 1 cwt sacks of coal strapped tothe cross bar, then face a six mile walk to Sunderland.

Your pictures don't seem to have taken ... if you mad a personal Gallery that may be the problem as sometimes it can't be seen by other members. This being the case we tend to post pictures in the Members Pictures area, that way everyone can share.

[Jim]

Yes i remember the old blast and i have pushed a bike across the nanny goats path one of the tricks was to get your bike across then the bags of coal not many would try and push a loaded bike across it was a fair drop.T hey use to say that the tunnel with the iron gate used to lead down the pit and was an escape route true or not i dont know.Most of the good coal came from the belt end.They also shot part of aliens 3 there because it looked like a different planet.
I also used to go to the pit pound that you had to pass on the way to blast.I was along that area the other day and it has compleatly changed its all factories and the old roads have gone.
Then there was the swing bridge across the dene that used to shake like hell in wind.They have even sold the old church st hildas and hellens to the methodist i think and they do free weddings and even let you borrow the clothes wedding dress,s ect.The old doctors was a nurcing home called brackloon house i dont know what it is now.There are loads of changes you cant get to ropery work the way you used to along by the bottle works you now have to drive right around.Remember the road under the bridge Ray well now you cant turn along the bottom road next to the line you have to go to where the dawdon hotel used to stand that is also a new nursing home now.

[Barrie]

Hi Jim,

I often wondered how anyone got a bike loaded with sacks of coal across that plank, it never occurred to me you would take the sacks over first then return for the bike – obvious really when you think about it. But you’re a braver man than me.

However, a picture’s worth a thousand words so, for the uninitiated, I’ve managed to get hold of one showing two gentlemen of the Blast about to attempt the Nanny Goat’s path with their hard earned load. Four or five bags of wet coal must be getting on for quarter of a ton … and that path was not only dangerous it was steep! Rather you than me Jim - let me know if you recognise either of them.

I remember that tunnel with the iron gate. If it was an escape route out of the pit you would need to remember to bring the key, there was a massive padlock on it as I recall. Probably just as well or Ray Scollen and I would have been down there.

As for the ‘PIT POND’ …. I spent half my youth there, swimming, playing water polo and dating half the ladies formation swimming team – but that’s another story. I’m just about to leave for work now but when I get back I’ll reveal all (including pics).


Take care

[Jim]

I dont know thier names but yes i have seen them i believe they were from town and used to make a few trips.One of the lads that lived in my old street used to do it after he moved to sunderland he was called brian defty,i dont know what they charged for thier sea coal but i know they worked hard to get it.Brian told me it was better than working because you were your own boss,i think i would rather work.I mean he would ride his bike to the blast then collect his coal about 6 bags and push it to places like redhouse the only time he got a ride was on a downward slope.
Then you had the fishermen with thier fires on fishing all night(not my cup of tea ),i did try it but all i caught was my line when it got snaged on a rock and got wet and cold.My brother in law comes all the way from cotgrave in nottingham to fish in seaham he loves it and years ago my 2nd youngest brother won a cup and prize for it and later on worked at the docks untill it was took over and was made redundant.He now works in the new asda in byron place and like most of the employees there doesnt like it.

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