Haswell is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated 6 miles (9.7 km) east of the city of Durham, 9 miles (14 km) south of the city of Sunderland and 3.1 miles (5.0 km) north-west of the town of Peterlee.
| Haswell | |
|---|---|
 St Paul's Parish Church, Haswell | |
  Haswell Location within County Durham | |
| Population | 1,831 (2011)[1] |
| OS grid reference | NZ375433 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | DURHAM |
| Postcode district | DH6 |
| Dialling code | 0191 |
| Police | Durham |
| Fire | County Durham and Darlington |
| Ambulance | North East |
| UK Parliament | |
History
editThe original settlement of Haswell was located where High Haswell is now on the hilltop before the village's centre moved downhill to its modern location on Salter's Lane. In the 14th century, Haswell's small population was nearly wiped out by the Black Death.[2]
Resting on a limestone escarpment, coal was discovered in the early 19th century and a colliery was sunk by 1831.[2] Haswell became home to the first coal mine in the world with a steel cable down its mine shaft. On 28 September 1844, a blackdamp explosion at killed 95 Haswell Coal Company workers, with just four survivors.[3] The colliery closed in 1896, and Haswell's population collapsed by 1901 after the miners left, leaving behind a rural settlement.[2]
Notable people
editHaswell was the birthplace of world champion road racing cyclist Tom Simpson, born 30 November 1937, who died aged 29 on Mont Ventoux during the 1967 Tour de France.
References
edit- ^ "Parish population 2011". Retrieved 20 July 2015.
- ^ a b c "Haswell Village and Colliery". Durham Records Online. 30 July 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
- ^ "Haswell – the 1844 Pit Disaster". A history of Haswell. Archived from the original on 15 August 2009. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
External links
edit
- Map sources for Haswell, County Durham
- www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Haswell and surrounding area
 | This England-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |