Blackhall....Select a picture to enlarge

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Blackhall Rocks Hotel in 1905. This Hotel was built by Nimmo's of Castle Eden Brewery for the coming of the Railway, as there were no houses at the time, it was taken over by a religious movement until 1914 when the Army took it over for the duration of the war. In 1918 Blackhall Workmen's Club took it over, at the rear of the Hotel there were some pleasure gardens, and a band stand, so the Club also opened a Convalescence Home, which according to my father went very well, the local garage owner put a generator in the cellar so they had electricity from then on. Shortly after the 1926 strike it went into liquidation, Horden Collieries ltd took it over and made flats for miners at the colliery, it was like that until aprox 1967 when the Category D for demolition came into force and it was demolished Bob Williams.

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The Blackhall Hotel, built about 1925 it was known as the Trust as that was the name of the company who built it, they came from the North Yorkshire area, it is now call the Chimneys, it is at the top end of East Street, at the other end of the Managers Houses. The LNER built a Halt on the line at the other side of the street to the Chimneys, the halt was opened by Mrs Chicken the Colliery Manager's Wife in 1934. Bob Williams

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Blackhall Rocks School Camp, 1940?

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Dene Holme Hotel on the Blackhall side of Castle Eden Dene was built by Nimmo's (Castle Eden Brewery) in 1895 for the coming of the railways. My late father used to tell of the golden sands people coming by pony and trap down through the Dene from Castle Eden Village, past the Castle where Col Burdon lived, they put a charge on each Trap as they had to pass through his gate to get to the entrance of the Dene. After the sinking of Blackhall Colliery, Horden Colliery bought the hotel to house Colliery Officials, later in its life it was converted into three bedroom, flats for miners and their families, demolished about 1970, it was at the bottom of a very steep hill leading to the beach. Bob Williams

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Dene Holme, 1920s?