NEWSTEAD
COLLIERY VILLAGE
This came into existence due to the fact that rich deposits of coal were discovered. This happened in
1873 when the Sheepbridge and Staveley Co secured the rights to sink the shafts which were 500
yards deep and the coal was large and consisted of steam hard, which was in great demand by Ship
Owners because of its steam producing qualities. The building of the Old Village commenced in
August 1873. It consisted o f 140 houses each having a kitchen, parlour and pantry, plus three
bedrooms. The initial cost was about £90 a house. Residents arrived and took them before they were
completed, thus showing the interest they had in getting to work. There was a curious mixture of
these people. Some worked for a place to worship and others for somewhere to obtain beer. This led
to what was called Shebeeners - selling drink without a licence. Some of the houses were named, a
popular one being the Brown Cow. Eventually two detectives came as labourers - the result was the
tenant absconded to British Columbia. In due course the, Primitive and Wesleyans built their chapels
and church people used the cemetery chapel built in 1875. Some of the descendants of these first
people still reside in the village. The public house called The Station Hotel was built in 1881. There
were two stations in the village, the Midland and the Great Northern, which was a boon to the place
and people. The school was built in the early 80s, a joint project o f the estate owner and of the
Colliery Co. All these developments had a great influence and the village began to be a community
with some good sportsmen. The football team was called Newstead Byron and cricket was very
popular. Then later on a brass band was formed which contested at Belle Vue. When this prospered
well the company encouraged the sportsmen etc. by finding them good jobs at the colliery (a system I
do not agree with) but allowance has to be made for the times it operated.
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Institute work (now known as Miners Welfare) started in a garden belonging to Mr Noah Dixon - the
wooden place was called Noah's Ark. Many of the men joined and the rules were strict, each member
had to address the other as Brother, no bad language was allowed or provoking a Brother. Penalties
were imposed on offenders. The conduct on the whole was good and when at last the Company built
a bigger place where a billiard table was installed the Committee had a Benevolent Fund to help needy
cases - 1 have known them to pay funeral expenses for such cases. They held a tribunal every week
and any offenders were duly dealt with. This provided a good deterrent as the committee comprised
some wonderful men.
Perhaps one o f the best things that happened was the installing of Pithead Baths. Instead of coming
home begrimed and black all over and their clothes having to be dried at the kitchen fire, they go to
work and come home clean and well dressed. A canteen is operating where meals are served and a
clinic like hospital, fitted with all the things necessary and staffed by a nurse and attendant. I f the
people of the village have to have treatment it is given in a professional manner.
The new village was started in 1924. It as laid out with a garden to each house and streets instead of
rows like the Old Village. It was the year of the Wembley Exhibition and a conductor of the local bus
when it arrived at the stop called out: "Anyone for Wembley" and ever since it has been called
Wembley - people in the old village usually allude to people living in the new village as "living down
Wembley". When the mining industry was nationalised it began a new era at the colliery. Since then
the old methods have gone. .The mine is half the depth - steam has been replaced by remote and
magnetic control. Winding is done by electricity. The tall chimney stacks have been demolished and
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the batteries of boilers cleared away. Cost of these changes was £I.5m. Now we have an output of a
million tons in less than a year. This doubles the output with less than half the men employed. Car
parks had to be established . - instead of walking and coming by rail and bus (the old rail travel was
called Paddy Mail). Many of the workers come in their own cars, a good sign of social progress.
Workmen retire at 65 years and receive £200 and a pension from the Coal Board and also from the
Union £4 per month and £6 from the Union. They also get five loads of coal per year, but pay for the
transport - so there is no hardship in the village.
Some of the amenities are the welfare hall, football, cricket and bowls, others being flying clubs
(pigeons) who compete with homing pigeons, angling clubs, ambulance classes and also a Ladies
Section who meet weekly - this is a good thing as contact is made of neighbours periodically of other
colliery villages. The older people are catered for by a committee of ladies who organise a trip in
summer and a party at Christmas - now this is done by the Institute Committee.
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The Institute Committee organise a reunion at the Festival Hall at Kirkby and it includes all pensioners
and wives who have worked at the colliery. There old friends meet and it is a wonderful cross section
socially. In addition £1 (10/- from the Union and 10/- from the Welfare) is given to each pensioner
and half a bottle of rum.
The school is now a primary one. It has been modernised and is very attractive - bright colours and
interesting pictures on the walls. Different to the school in my younger days. Those who pass their 11
plus go to their choice of school and others go to modern schools (secondary modern which are under
the limit for transport. When I visited the school ( I have been a school manager for 40 years) I have
been very pleased with the scholars, they are well dressed and proficient. When the school was
transferred to the council they paid £2,500 to the Colliery Co. and to the owners of the Abbey. This
was used to build a church which was dedicated in 1928. The furnishings for the church were paid for
by proceeds from a grand fete and the Abbey which realised £435. Various vicars have added to the
improvement of the church, one of the major improvements being a chancel built on. Another was a
choir vestry and old choir vestry used for a Lady Chapel. There is also a church hall which was
redecorated lately and is used by Young Wives, Mothers Union, Women's Institute and various
receptions. Recently wrought iron gates were placed at the entrance to the churchyard as a testimony
for the 57 years I was church warden, treasurer etc. M y initials are displayed on the centre scroll.
The church activities I am sorry to say have decreased. The Wesleyan Chapel is closed and up for
sale. The Primitive Chapel has very few members. One reason is the young people marry and leave the
parish owing to two facts, wanting a house of their own and housing in general.
We had no proper road to the village from the Nottingham turnpike, just a track along the boundary,
the gates were fixed at field and the ruts were deep and treacherous. In 1894 the Parish Council came
into being and their first task was to establish a road. This they attempted to do on the product of a Id
rate which was £80 or £90 per annum. As the track was nine furlongs it was quite inadequate. Pit
slack was used and this quickly churned up. Eventually after much trouble the County Council took it
over and now it is a good road linking up with the road to the colliery which I am proud to say bears
my name, Tilford Road.
I expect you will know some of the history o f the Abbey, but there are a few things not stated.
Alongside one of the lakes are rooms cut into the rock. We called them rock houses. Their origin is
very obscure but in the Domesday Book the name is II Nova Loco which means The New Place.
More is known of the Abbey, due to Henry 1 who felt he was responsible for the murder of Thomas A
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Beckett. His rash words led to the knights coming to and Byron in a poem refers to the Abbey Repentant Henry's Pride.
The farms on the estate bear the original names, Monks Barn, Hag Nook, Gibbert Dale, Knights
Cross, Hopping Hill, Hayes Farm, Abbey Fields and Weir Mills. The drive from the village which is
one and quarter miles was Swincote Vale. The Estate was one of the few liberties in the county, I
think there is either five or seven.
The Abbey is now owned by the Nottingham Corporation, Sir Julian Kahn bought it from Mr Ian
Fraser, the last of the Webb family. It is open, together with the gardens in the summer, and hundreds
of people respond. One person I remember visiting the Abbey as a guest was Dr Livingstone who was
a friend of Capt Webb.
The Abbey is very imposing. The west front has at the extreme end the massive wall and entrance of
the original priory. It is now derelict, just stonework. Looking through the gateway you can see the
tombstone Byron put up to his dog Boatswain - this is said to be the site of the grand altar. It
resembles a huge Grecian urn and its white marble panels have an epitaph, up to about 45 years ago it
was possible to go inside the tomb and down a stone staircase to the vault. This has now been
cemented up. The Abbey crypt is through the entrance and going through you reach the cloisters and
quadrangle - on the east side of which is the chapel, this is now used each Sunday for the service but
at one time the Lord Byron, named the wicked Lord Byron, kept his dogs in the chapel. The gardens
are historic and well kept. A Japanese garden is at the far end and at the side is the great lake. The
square lake called the Eagle Pond is where the lectern was found which is now in Southwell Minster.
It weighs 30cwt and has an open beak which is very unusual.
I trust that my story will be helpful. My long experience has brought me into contact with so much.
As a lad I delivered the mail and often had to read the same as they could not read or write, but as I
found out they could reckon. The many a quaint conversation I have listened to but you will see that it
is not possible to give more than a general account. The population is now about 2,500. When Col
Wildman died - who was then the owner of the Abbey - the tenant farmers sent a letter of condolence
and appreciation (1860) and I have a copy of the original-3
The oak tree in the Abbey gardens is called Byron Oak as it was supposed to be planted by Byron is
now cut down. I have a Greek stamp of Byron framed in a piece of the Oak.4
1. The. village was built at the furthest field away from the Abbey itself and was, therefore, huddled on
one field.
2. This committee was started during the war as a comfort fund committee and then reverted to the
old folks committee after the war.
3. The original was passed to Nottingham Corporation for display in Newstead Abbey.
4. This was given to Dr Rickett by the family and was passed to Newstead Abbey for display by his
widow.
By J H Tilford (1967).
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