The £2.5m restoration of Woodhorn Museum's two heapsteads near Ashington is finished, saving pithead structures that were on the Heritage at Risk Register.
The towering pithead structures at Woodhorn Museum, near Ashington, have been saved. A £2.5 million restoration of the museum’s two heapsteads is complete, Northumberland County Council announced on 16 September.
The heapsteads are part of the machinery that brought coal up from more than 250 metres underground. They had suffered severe corrosion and were classed as heritage at risk by Historic England.
What was done
Cramlington-based Compass Developments carried out the work under a council contract. Ian Simpson, a director of the firm, said the 40-week programme was completed on time and within budget.
He said the work included:
- essential repairs to the steelwork
- repairs to the structural fabric
- full redecoration in a specialist paint matched to the original look
The firm worked closely with Historic England, he said, with minimal disruption to the running of the museum. The council says the project also created training places for young people in construction and heritage skills.
Who paid for it
The money came from the county council and from the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund, which is led by Historic England and funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
North East Museums, which runs Woodhorn for the council, puts the Historic England share at almost £1 million, matched by the council.
Why the structures matter
Woodhorn Colliery was sunk in 1894 by the Ashington Coal Company. By 1914 it employed more than 2,000 people. Production ceased in 1981. That history is set out in Historic England’s scheduling record.
The same record describes the pithead buildings as rare survivals. It says few early 20th century engine houses and headgears of Woodhorn’s quality still exist. The council’s release says the site is recognised as among the best-preserved late 19th and early 20th century collieries in the North East.
When restoration began in November 2025, North East Museums said both heapsteads were in very poor condition. Without action, it warned, they faced potential collapse.
Council Leader Glen Sanderson said: “It’s great news that this careful restoration work has been carried out by a local company with a local workforce.”
Jo Raw, Northumberland venues manager for North East Museums, said: “What better way to mark Woodhorn’s 20th anniversary than by seeing the restoration of our Heapsteads complete.”
She added that the work “means the historic colliery buildings can now reopen to visitors”.
What it means for you
During the work, No.2 Heapstead and No.2 Winding House were closed for safety, according to the museum’s restoration FAQs. The museum said that once the job was done, visitors would again be able to go into the No.1 Heapstead. There they can see the shaft top landings, the cages that carried men and machinery underground and the huge winding wheel.
The museum has not yet published a date for each building reopening. Check with Woodhorn before you travel if seeing inside the heapsteads is the reason for your visit.
Visiting details, from the museum’s own visit page:
- Open: Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm, and every day during Northumberland school holidays
- Adults: £11, or £10 without the optional donation
- Concessions: £10, or £9 without the donation
- Under 18s and accompanying carers: free
- Your ticket works as an annual pass for 12 months of repeat visits
- Where: Queen Elizabeth II Country Park, Ashington, NE63 9YF, just off the A189
- Contact: (0191) 277 2410
No booking is needed. For other days out across the county, see our things to do in Northumberland guide.
Sources
- Northumberland County Council: £2.5 million Woodhorn restoration project is complete, 16 September 2026, for the contract value, the contractor, the corrosion and heritage at risk status, the funding sources and all quotes.
- North East Museums: Heapstead Restoration FAQs for the start date, the almost £1 million Historic England contribution, the condition of the structures and the buildings closed during the work.
- Historic England: Woodhorn Colliery, list entry 1016976 for the colliery’s sinking, workforce and closure dates, and the 1999 scheduling.
- North East Museums: Visit Woodhorn Museum for opening hours, prices and address.
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