St. Augustines - oldminer.co.uk

Boythorpe Colliery.

I remember quite fondly the mountain at the bottom of Saint Augustine’s Mount or the ‘Gussies’ as my paternal grandmother lived on the Mount at number 45.

I played on there as a child and often wondered what it was, it was of course the spoil heap of one of the Boythorpe collieries and was I suppose of no use and an eyesore until someone had the bright idea of removing it and using the newly formed land to build on. I had seen this done in the 1970’s when Barlow Lees colliery red spoil heap was removed and turned back into agricultural land.

So a few years ago the machines moved in and removed the mound and built Turnbull Close in its place.

I don’t have all the details nor dates but I am sure someone will furnish me with some more detailed information in due course. I am ever indebted to Mr. Jackson for supplying me with the photographs.

I have been talking to my dad tonight and he tells me that during the war a nissan hut and anti-aircraft gun emplacement was built on top of the mound and was serviced by the army to protect the Tube Works.