
The Northumberland Coalfield is a coalfield in north-east England. It is continuous with the Durham Coalfield to its south.[1] It extends from Shilbottle in the north to the boundary with County Durham along the River Tyne in the south, beyond which is the Durham Coalfield.[2]
The two contiguous coalfield areas were often referred to as the Durham and Northumberland Coalfield(s) or as the Great Northern Coalfield.[3]
Coal seams
The following coal seams are recorded from the Northumberland Coalfield. They are listed here in stratigraphic order with the youngest at the top and the oldest/deepest at the bottom.[4] Not all seams are named and not all occur at any one locality.
Pennine Coal Measures Group
Upper Coal Measures
- Killingworth
 - West Moor
 - Top Hebburn Fell
 - Bottom Hebburn Fell
 - Usworth
 
Middle Coal Measures
- Burradon
 - Rowlington
 - Top Ryhope Five-Quarter
 - Bottom Ryhope Five-Quarter
 - Ryhope Little
 - Top Moorland
 - Bottom Moorland
 - Ashington
 - High Main
 - Metal
 - Five-Quarter
 - Bentinck
 - Yard
 - Top Bensham
 - Bottom Bensham
 - Top Durham Low Main
 - Bottom Durham Low Main
 - Northumberland Low Main
 - Broomhill Main
 - Top Plessey
 - Plessey
 - Bottom Plessey
 
Lower Coal Measures
- Beaumont
 - Bottom Beaumont
 - Top Tilley
 - Tilley
 - Bottom Tilley
 - Top Busty
 - Bottom Busty
 - Three-Quarter
 - Stobswood New
 - Brockwell
 - Victoria
 - Stobswood
 - Marshall Green
 - Ganister Clay
 - Gubeon
 - Saltwick
 
Yoredale Group
Stainmore Formation (Namurian)
- Stanton
 - Top Netherwitton
 - Bottom Netherwitton
 - Top Coatyards
 - Bottom Coatyards
 - Little Limestone
 
Alston Formation (Visean)
- Parrot
 - Townhead
 - Shilbottle (Acre)
 - Beadnell
 - Greenses
 - Blackhill
 - Main
 
References
- ↑ The NorthumberlandCoalfield, Coalmining History Research Centre, archived from the original on 19 July 2011, retrieved 5 December 2010
 - ↑ British Geological Survey 2007 Bedrock geology: UK North 1:625,000 scale geological map, BGS, Keyworth, Notts
 - ↑ "The Great Northern Coalfield: Mining Collections at Beamish Museum - Northumbria University, Newcastle UK". Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2010.
 - ↑ British Geological Survey 1:50,000 scale geological map sheet nos 6, 9, 10, 14 (England & Wales series) Alnwick, Rothbury, Newbiggin & Morpeth
 
55°09′32″N 1°36′09″W / 55.1589°N 1.6026°W