"The colliery was started in 1825 and produced its first coals in 1833 via the Jane Pit. The workmen in these early years lived in houses built of sod at Low Downs, along with the colliery horses. In 1836 an explosion killed 20 men. The Caroline pit had been abandoned in 1832 but was reopened and deepened in 1853. A surface fire in 1867 caused the death of one man underground. The 1st edition Ordnance Survey plan shows a gin-gan, gas house and two reservoirs within the Eppleton Colliery site, which was served by the Hetton Railway, Eppleton Branch (HER ref. 2986). The New Pit or Lindsay Shaft was sunk in 1870. The Jane and Caroline engine houses were built in 1880 and the signal system in the Caroline Shaft electrified in 1883. In 1895 3 men died from foul air. In 1925 the Jane Pit was reopened to reach the Busty Seam, and the pithead baths were opened in 1930. In 1933 the colliery manager, Mr. Stokoe was crushed to death by wagons. In 1951 9 men were killed in an explosion. The same year the Hawthorn mine complex was started involving Eppleton and Elemore Pits. It was completed in 1958 and was still working in 1978." - Sitelines

"Eppleton Colliery, the property of the Hetton Coal Company, Limited, consists of three pits. The Caroline, down-cast, was commenced in 1824, but after sinking a short distance, so much sand and water were met with that the project was condemned by the leading viewers of the day. Another effort was, however, made, and, after overcoming 22 fathoms of sand and a feeder of water, which made 1200 gallons per minute, the Main coal was reached, at a depth of 140 fathoms, on the 1st of August 1833. The Jane pit down-cast shaft was sunk in 1837. The New pit up-cast was commenced in April 1870, and finished in 1873. The shaft is 16 feet in diameter. There is a very powerful winding-engine at this shaft, capable of raising 150 tons per hour. The following seams are worked: the Main coal, at a depth of 140 fathoms, 6 feet in thickness; the Maudlin, 151 fathoms, feet 1 inch in thickness, at the shaft scarcely workable, owing to bands and splint ; but to the east becomes valuable and about 7 feet thick, separated from the Low Main by a band of about 8 inches, making a section of 11 feet 11 inches. The Low Main is unworkable. The Hutton is 174 fathoms deep, and 4 feet 8 inches in thickness at the shaft, tapering to 2 feet 11 inches at the extreme north and east points of the royalty. The pits are ventilated by furnaces and boiler fires, producing 300,000 cubic feet of air per minute. The number of men and boys employed under ground is 1100, above ground, 304. The output averages 3000 tons per day." - Whellan's 1894 Directory of County Durham, via the Durham Mining Museum

NEHL - Eppleton Colliery was a direct influencer in the development of Hetton Downs Village, which by thr 1890s was crammed with narrow rows and infrastructure to cater for the 2000+ people who worked here in the 1890s. It was a super-pit in every definition and only a few of these terraces survive. The village also had a couple of quarries, likely to construct the houses and infrastructure as well as at least half a dozen hotels and pubs. The pit was connected by a small branch from the Hetton Colliery Railway.