Scaffold Hill

[nort]

In the 19c the pitmen of Northumberland sometimes held mass meetings at Scaffold Hill.There is a Scaffold Hill Farm near Rising Sun country park Wallsend,does anyone know if this was their meeting place or was there another Scaffold Hill somewhere else ?

Steve

[stanmapstone]

The Scaffold Hill where the meetings were held is the one near Rising Sun country park Wallsend. In the papers of the time it is said to be near Longbenton.

Stan

[nort]

Thanks for confirming that Stan.It must have have been an amazing sight to see 20,000 pitmen (so it is said) gathered from the surrounding collieries,most of them probably having walked there.

Steve

[Radcliff]

Hello Steve ,
I have a book called Thunder underground written by Roy Thompson,it mentions at the end of the chapter on  the Wallsend disasters ,the union meeting at scaffold hall Longbenton,
Gillian

[stanmapstone]

If you go to http://gis.durham.gov.uk/website/interMAP/viewer.htm and enter the coordinates 430290, 569710 in to search it will center the map on the location. On the 1856-1865 map you will see there are two sets of buildings called Scaffold Hill, not Scaffold Hall. On the 1919-1926 map the Scaffold Hill Infectious Diseases Hospital is marked.

Stan

[nort]

hi Gillian,i wonder if thats a spelling mistake in the book because its definitely Scaffold Hill on the maps.There doesn't seem to be much of a hill there either which i thought they might need to get  the speakers above the crowd.

Steve

[Radcliff]

Yes I do think its a spelling mistake ,you couldn't get that many people into a hall,and the meetings were huge by the look of things ,the Rising sun colliery is mentioned to on a few occasions as being in Wallsend,its a great book ,I bought my copy from Woodhorn last year ,to help me with researching which mines were where,it only covers disasters though and the outcomes of enquiries,
well worth the money; despite spelling mistakes,
Gillian

[stanmapstone]

hi Gillian,i wonder if thats a spelling mistake in the book because its definitely Scaffold Hill on the maps.There doesn't seem to be much of a hill there either which i thought they might need to get  the speakers above the crowd.

Steve

It does not appear to have been a hill 
hence the usual resort for public meetings is the amphitheatrically constructed place "Scaffold-hill". The Northern Star and National Trades' Journal (Leeds, England), Saturday, June 2, 1849

Stan

[nort]

Thanks Stan,that must mean it had been built specially to hold mass meetings for the pitmen ?

Steve