George,
You said you don't recall a Sixth Row.
In fron of me I have the 25" version of the 1897 Ordnance Survey map showing the "top" of Blyth.
It clearly shows rows of houses roughly in a triangular shape. Two long sides formed by West Row to the west, Double Row and Gas Row forming the east side and topped off by Badger Row.
Sixth Row is shown towards the angle formed by Badger Row and Gas Row.
West Row was in two separate parts. I wonder if Sixth Row got it's name from been 6th. , after West Row ( northern part), West Row ( southern part), Double Row, Gas Row and Badger Row. then Sixth Row.
Is Sixth Row what you knew as New Row ?
The map referred to by fremund is on-line at site communities.northumberland.gov.uk enter the Blyth section, click on Ordnance Maps- choose 1897 25 "... see extreme left of map to see Cowpen Colliery rows.
Here are snippets of what a roving reporter of the Newcastle Wqeekly Chronicle wrote in edition of 4th Oct 1873 ( he covered a different colliery every week for over two years.)
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" ...... Cowpen had gas works of it's own, and a row of cottages close by is known as the "Gas Raw", each house within which contains two rooms. It was the first row built by the present owners, and until a few months ago had neither privies nor ash pits; but now these requirements have been added.
A brick wall runs along the Back and Ends; the ash-pits are built high, with doors just as we have them in town, and each home has it's own back-yard.
"Fiddler's Row" face the Blyth & Tyne Railway, which it overlooks, and is the same in structure as the Gas Row.
Parallel with the Fiddlers Row is the Double Row, each house in which contains three rooms, but another row, called the Middle Row, is built so near it that there is no room for such improved privies and ash-pits as have been added to the other rows.
Quality Row is a gentleman of the ancient regime and swells in portly pride at the bottom of the west leg of the triangle. Each of it's houses contains no less than four rooms, the upper rooms being reached by a noble staircase.
The West Row forms the remainder of the triangle. Its houses are comfortable two-roomed houses, with projecting pantries behind. But it is too close to the Middle Row to leaqve room for conveniences.
In the centre of the triagle are the village schools, large and well ventilated with separate departments for boys, girls and infants. There are no chapels in the village. Blyth is close at hand and Blyth is a religious town, so there is no necessity for places of worship in the village itself, although zealous Methodists hold services and conduct Sunday classes in the colliery school. "
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Michael Dixon
( from Bebside Colliery village where reporter gave it's privies scored a higher rating than Cowpen Colliery. lol)
