Woodhorn Museum

03/09/2026

It's not every day you get the chance to get this close to these iconic winding wheels!

With Woodhorn's heapstead restoration now just weeks away from completion, we’re looking back at some of the behind-the-scenes moments from the past month.

A few weeks ago, we asked Ian from Compass to show us his favourite part of the heapsteads...

02/09/2026

It's the first Wednesday of the month which means Three's a Crowd will be here playing in the Winding House Cafe between 12.30pm and 1.30pm.

Come along and grab a cuppa or a bite to eat and enjoy the live music performed by Dave and Ray! 🎵☕

26/08/2026

Coming to Woodhorn Museum on 12 September...

Join us for the Nature for Health Fair - A celebration of how nature can support our mental and physical health.

Linking health and social care with nature based opportunities. An information sharing fair with mini taster sessions from Nature based charities, organisations, societies and groups from the North East.

📍 The Woodhorn Museum, NE63 9YF
🗓️ Saturday 12 September 2026
⏰ 11am - 3pm

https://www.nwt.org.uk/events/2026-09-12-nature-health-fair

26/08/2026

Some lovely images from Station Court Care Home - Barchester Healthcare who recently borrowed one of our object handling boxes all about Woodhorn colliery and the Northumberland coalfield 💛

19/08/2026

Washington ‘F’ Pit
A drawing of a coal mining scene by Robert Prime
By John Chilton-Graham

Museum Marra volunteer, John, chose this drawing from the Woodhorn Collection and created a personal reflection exploring the memories, connections and emotions it evokes.

The drawing, by former miner and artist Robert Prime, captures Washington ‘F’ Pit - a place familiar to many in the North East and one that also held a personal connection for John, whose family had links to the mine.

Through his interpretation, John explores not only the story behind the drawing, but also the wider story of coal mining communities, changing landscapes and the memories left behind.

John’s piece is one of Six Canny Tales from the Woodhorn Collection - a project where each of our Museum Marra volunteers selected an object and shared their own creative interpretation, uncovering stories of people, places and materials along the way.

Discover this drawing, along with the other volunteer-selected objects, as part of the Community of Coal trail in Coal Town at Woodhorn Museum until 13 September.

You can also read John’s full interpretation and hear the Marras reading their pieces online here: https://tinyurl.com/47znjzxv

17/08/2026

This wasn't the first banner Woodhorn miners chose…

Although Woodhorn Colliery opened in 1894, it wasn't until 1960 that it had a banner of its own. Before then, two miners from Woodhorn were chosen to help carry the Ashington Federation banner, representing the five pits of the Ashington Coal Company.

When the decision was made to commission a banner, the committee invited the community to submit designs, advertising a £10 prize in the local newspapers. The winning design showed a bare-chested miner standing astride a bridge with the rays of the sun behind him.

When it was unveiled at Hirst Welfare in Ashington on 7 May 1960, however, the reaction wasn't what anyone expected. Branch members dismissed it as having a 'Japanese look', and a redesign was commissioned.

The banner we see today features the Houses of Parliament alongside scenes of coal mining's past, present and future. It reflected the optimism of the time, although the modern mining scenes imagined for the future were never realised. Woodhorn Colliery closed in 1981 before beginning a new chapter as Woodhorn Museum in 1989.

Image: Woodhorn NUM banner, Made in Birmingham 1959–60, with later additions
Cotton with appliquéd nylon panels and lettering.

You can see this banner, along with three others from our latest banner rotation, on display at Woodhorn Museum.

16/08/2026

Heritage Open Days at Woodhorn Museum

Join us on Saturday 12 September for a FREE day celebrating Northumberland’s heritage and culture.

Enjoy special activities including:

✨ Northumbria Lacemakers demonstrations
🌿 Nature for Health & Wellbeing Fair
⛏️ A Community of Coal: Six Canny Tales pop-up talk and tour
💃 High Spen Miners Dance Centenary Exhibition

Plus, explore our galleries, exhibitions and Coal Town - all with free entry for the day.

Find out more: https://www.northeastmuseums.org.uk/.../heritage-open-day...

📅 Saturday 12 September
🎟️ Free entry

13/08/2026

Today marks 110 years since the Woodhorn Colliery mining disaster.

At 6am on 13 August 1916, thirteen men began their shift deep underground at Woodhorn Colliery, carrying out vital repair work. A failure in the mine's ventilation and the use of naked flame candles instead of safety lamps caused a pocket of firedamp to ignite, triggering a devastating explosion.

Eleven men were killed instantly. Two more died later, never regaining consciousness.

Today, we remember those workers whose lives were tragically cut short. Their names are not forgotten, and their stories remain an important part of Woodhorn's history and the wider story of Northumberland's mining communities.

To mark the anniversary, we're sharing A Miners' Memorial – a short film featuring actor Chris Connel reading The Miners' Hymn, an extract of Gresford performed by Ellington Colliery Brass Band, and an extract of How Great Thou Art performed by Dennis Todd of Jayess Newbiggin Brass Band.

We remember them.

12/08/2026

Ahead of the 110th anniversary of the Woodhorn Colliery Disaster, we’re taking a closer look at one of the most poignant objects in our collection.

This disaster jug commemorates the tragedy of 13 August 1916, when a gas explosion at Woodhorn Colliery claimed the lives of 13 men.

Etched into the jug are the words:

WOODHORN COL DISASTER, AUG 13 1916, 13 LIVES LOST

alongside delicate decorative leaf motifs that wrap around the sides.

Woodhorn Museum cares for around 40 disaster glasses and jugs in its collection. While many commemorate mining disasters, others mark significant events in the lives of mining communities, including strikes, the death of a union member and even wider global events.

It was once thought that disaster glasses were produced to raise funds for families after mining disasters. However, recent research suggests they were more likely created as souvenirs to commemorate significant events for the people who owned them.

This example is particularly unusual as it is a jug rather than a glass, and the inscription is engraved entirely in capital letters – a style associated with examples from the 1910s. Although we don’t know exactly who produced these objects, the distinctive lettering found across different pieces suggests that a small number of makers may have created many of them.

You can now see this remarkable disaster jug and other objects from our mining collection in our Coal Town exhibition at Woodhorn Museum.