Life Lines of Industry: excavation and exploration of the 18th century Walbottle Moor Waggonway

Abstract

SUMMARY The North East of England has been a hub of mining activity throughout its recent history due to the abundance of large coal deposits in the region. The coal trade and the associated technologies developed by the collieries of Northumberland and Durham were a driving force behind some of the innovations of the Industrial Revolution. Waggonways of the region, as vital routes of commerce, became key testing grounds for civil engineering principles that would go on to influence the world. The excavation of William Brown’s Walbottle Moor Waggonway by Headland Archaeology (UK) Ltd in 2019 has provided insights into the construction of one such lifeline of industry. Excavated evidence combined with the documentary and cartographic sources has provided an opportunity to look in-depth at this waggonway. The phases of use, from construction to decommissioning, and the evolution of waggonway technologies in the region have been explored and engineering specific to the complex topography of the area is revealed. These revelations include the multiple phases of the waggonway, which indicate that an initial temporary trackway was used in the construction of the earthwork features along the line – a feature which is unique for the eighteenth century.