Kibblesworth

Kibblesworth is in the parish of St. Andrews, Lamesley. While the area was agricultural, this was the centre of worship for the people of Kibblesworth. After the development of the mining industry, the Primitive Methodist Chapel (1864) and Wesleyan Methodist Chapel (1867),[1] provided social as well as religious life for the village. The present chapel was built by the Wesleyan Methodists in 1913.[2] The Primitive Methodist Chapel has now been converted into flats.

Although there had been coal-mining in the Kibblesworth area from medieval times, relatively few men were employed in the industry until the sinking of Robert Pit in 1842. From this date the fortunes of the village followed those of the industry with particular black spots during the strikes of 1921 and 1926 and the depression of the 1930s, high spots in the boom of the 1950s and 60s, and eventually closure of the pit in 1974.[3]

The Bowes Railway was used for the transport of coal from Kibblesworth to the River Tyne at Jarrow. The line was started by George Stephenson in 1826 and extended to Kibblesworth when Robert Pit was sunk in 1842. The railway used three types of power – locomotives, stationary steam engines and self-acting inclines. There is now a cycletrack that runs along the former track bed.

The Square at Spout Burn was built to house the miners of Robert Pit. It was demolished between 1965 and 1966, and replaced by old people's bungalows the following year and Grange Estate from 1973.

Better known as 'the Barracks', Kibbleswoth Nether Hall was divided up into tenements for miners and their families, no soldiers ever lived there. The memory survives in the street named Barrack Terrace. The hall was demolished and replaced by the Miner's Institute in 1936-7. An area near the site of Kibblesworth Old Hall has been redeveloped for housing named Woodlands Court.

Kibblesworth old Hall was for many years the home of the colliery manager. It was demolished in 1973.[4]

The original Kibblesworth School was built in 1875, and closed in 1972. It has since been redeveloped using Lottery funding to house the village community centre known as the 'Millennium Centre'. The present school opened in 1972.[5]

London Underground Test Tunnel - For two whole years the village of Kibblesworth was the guinea pig in the development of the world's first underground train and tunnel in London.

In 1855 a short test tunnel was constructed in this North East of England town, over 270 miles away from the streets of London.

The work undertaken in Kibblesworth meant in January 1863 the first London Underground route could open between Paddington and Farringdon. Some details can be found in this article [6]

• 1842 – The sinking of Robert Pit
• 1842–50 – Square and Barrack Terrace built; Old Hall (Barracks) converted to tenements
• 1855 - A short test tunnel was constructed and underground train operated, which would later result in the creation of the London Underground
• 1862 – Causey Row built
• 1864 – Opening of Primitive Methodist Chapel
• 1867 – Opening of Wesleyan Methodist Chapel
• 1875 – Opening of school
• 1901 – School extensions built, Coronation Terrace built
• 1908– Old Plough Inn demolished
• 1913 – Opening of New Wesleyan Chapel
• 1914 – The Crescent built and Grange Drift opened
• 1921 – Miners' strike
• 1926 – First aged miners' homes, opposite Liddle Terrace
• 1926 – General Strike
• 1932 – Closure of Grange Drift
• 1935-6 – Barracks demolished and Miners' Welfare Institute built on site
• 1936 – First council housing in Ashvale Avenue and Laburnum Crescent
• 1947 – Nationalisation of the pits
• 1965 – The Square demolished
• 1974 – Closure of the pit

• Si King, co-presenter of BBC television food programme Hairy Bikers, is from Kibblesworth.[7]

Media related to Kibblesworth at Wikimedia Commons