I had a look at the Hartleyburn Engine House today and agree with Clive that it housed a beam pumping engine, but it is remarkably small. In appearance it reminded me of the engine house at Stublick, also in Northumberland, with a room for a single horizontal boiler along one side under the same roof, although the engine house part is two storey. The wall supporting the beam (or bob if you prefer) is suitably thicker than the other walls although the opening through the wall is simply square, not arched. Below it has been another opening (now blocked), but internally no sign of any engine bed or foundations. However the outer side wall, as oppose to the side wall against the boiler room, has a pair of small holes through it to provide access to the cotter pins at the bottom ends of two holding-down rods running down through the thickness of the side wall.
A flattened circular area outside the beam wall undoubtedly covers the top of the shaft.
For a colliery building of some 150 years of age it is in remarkably good condition and yet so non-industrial-like it just appears to be an uplands barn. Sited at NY 6602 5858. Although the railway trackbed, which runs right alongside the building, was said by Peter Jackson to belong to Sustrans it is not fenced of from the 2 acres surrounding the structure which are also in the Auction to be held 8 May next. Looking on the "Keys to the Past" website for Northumberland and Durham this site is not shown as Listed although the ex-miner living next door told me that planning permission for conversion to single room holiday cottage was approved although the building could not be altered externally (because it's in an area of outstanding natural scenery, perhaps?).
In my opinion a suitable building for protection.
Simon.
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