Mining

One of the F-Pit's last remaining workers alive, Derek Scott, spoke to BBC Wear and explains life in the pits.

Mr Derek Scott

Derek said: "It was a family pit where everyone knew everybody and everybody watched out for everyone."

You can watch and listen to Derek Scott tell his story of what life was like by clicking the video link at the top right hand side of this page.

The first coals

The F-Pit was sunk in 1777 and just a year later the first coals were being transported to Sunderland. Mining continued until 1796 when an explosion flooded the pit and stopped production.

One of the Engines in the Museum

The colliery reopened a quarter of a century later.

In 1856 the shaft was deepened to more than 200 metres and hundreds of men flocked to the area to work at the colliery. By 1870 it had become the area's major producer of coal.

The number of miners employed at F-Pit continued to grow over the decades, reaching a peak in 1960 with 1,510 workers producing some 500,000 tonnes of coal each year.

In 1947 it was taken over by the National Coal Board and by the late 1960s F-Pit was closed.

The last coals

The last coals were drawn on June 21 1968 and its closure left 1,298 pitmen out of work.

The towering pit heap provided the only reminder of 200 years of mining in Washington.

However memories of the F-Pit do live on. In 1976 the winding house and headgear were handed over to the people of Washington and it was opened as a museum.

Washington F-Pit museum

Admission to Washington 'F' Pit is free and the site is open seasonally.

Pulley

Visitors can see the impressive winding engine which once took pitmen to the coalface and brought coal to the surface.

Juliet Horsley, curator of Sunderland Museums said:

"Washington F-Pit is a valuable monument representing the importance of the coal mining industry to the North East and its residents. It is a fantastic opportunity for visitors to get a taste of what life was like for miners and their families."