In this episode we are joined by Dr Adrian Green and Sandra Bell Adrian is Associate Professor Early Modern British and American History and Sandra is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Anthropology. Together they have written Coal Stories: An illustrated trail guide through Durham City’s industrial and coal mining past. We take a walk along part of the trail from Durham Market Place, along Sadler Street, up North Bailey and across Prebends Bridge to a coal seam by the River Wear. Along the route, they reveal how coal wealth shaped the city’s streets, from hidden collieries and the iconic viaduct to the social history of miners’ homes, courts, and community activism. It’s a journey that uncovers the overlooked story of how a cathedral city became a coal city. A map showing our route can be found in the episode notes.
A map of the full Coal Stories route can be found here.
For the podcast we walked from Market Place (13 on map)) past St Mary-le-Bow Church (1) and down to the coal seam (2).
You can find the guide at the following shops:
Or you can email durhamminingmuseumsecretary@gmail.com to request a copy of the book.