Haswell: Chapel, Mining History and Walkway

Haswell brings together the history of a medieval chapel, traces of coal mining and the Hart to Haswell Walkway. These themes offer different ways to explore the area as you plan your trip: you can take an interest in archaeological and architectural evidence, learn about the colliery’s history or explore the route through the surrounding area.

The chapel and the early settlement centre

No visible remains survive above ground at the site of High Haswell Chapel. Archaeological deposits underground, however, preserve important evidence of the chapel’s construction and use. The medieval stone building measured approximately 10 by 20 metres and had no aisles. Here, visible buildings and hidden archaeological traces offer contrasting insights into the same subject.

A document dating to around 1300 stipulated that a lamp should be kept burning at the Chapel of Hessewell on Sundays and church holidays. High Haswell is also part of the area’s early history: the original village of Haswell was located there. Two farms, barns, outbuildings and a private home remain. Haswell is also the birthplace of world champion cyclist Tom Simpson.

Mining history and remembrance

Coal mining in Haswell began in 1831; the first coal was transported from Haswell Colliery in 1835. Another momentous event followed in 1844: an ignition of firedamp at the colliery killed 95 men and boys. Haswell Colliery closed in 1896.

The engine house is the only surviving building from the former colliery and is designated a Scheduled Monument. Comparable engine houses from 19th-century collieries are now very rare in the North East Coalfield. The surviving colliery monument is locally known as Haswell Arch. It stands alone on the former colliery site and commemorates the 1844 disaster.

A different memorial commemorates the First World War: Haswell War Memorial dates from 1920. Its design was not adapted to commemorate the Second World War, preserving the original design concept. The memorial and Haswell Arch thus represent different forms of remembrance in the area’s history.

Buildings and their details

Elemore Grange Barn offers another architectural point of interest. The building dates from the late 18th or early 19th century. Its three elliptical brick arches, supported by two square stone piers, are particularly distinctive.

Hart to Haswell Walkway

The Hart to Haswell Walkway runs from Hart railway station on the A1086 north of Hartlepool, through Hesleden and past Shotton Colliery, to Haswell. It follows the route of the former Hartlepool to Sunderland railway line. George Stephenson designed this line to transport coal from the Durham coalfields to the docks at Hartlepool. The present-day route can therefore also be understood as a trace of the former link between the coalfields and the port.

The walkway is part of the Sustrans National Cycle Network and provides a safe, traffic-free route as far as South Shields. It is also designated a Local Nature Reserve. The route thus combines a specific alignment with its railway and mining history, as well as its designation as a nature reserve. If you are planning a trip, check current route conditions in advance.

The named stages are useful for finding your way: Hart, Hesleden, Shotton Colliery and Haswell mark the course of the walkway. You can explore Haswell through both its former colliery and the associated remembrance, and a route with its own transport history.

Discover more destinations: Hutton Magna, Crook, Lanchester, Shincliffe, Wycliffe, Hamsterley, Peterlee, Burnhope.

For the broader travel overview: Durham.