(03 Apr 2016, 10:36 am)Charles41 wrote Hi remember this area well from when I was little. There was indeed a pit, it was called Ladypark Drift and the site is now retail world. The road with the bus shelter on it used to come out near the NCB offices (which is now Sainsbury). If I remember rightly the 29 Kibblesworth bus used to use it.

There used to be a railway line which ran behind the NCB offices to the drift mine. It crossed the main road through the Team Valley on a single track concrete viaduct. It crossed Chowdene Bank near where the small gas works is now and then over the East Main Line before heading up to Wrekenton. Most of the railway is now a public footpath.

I used to go for walks with my dad on a Sunday around Ravensworth Castle and remember us taking a shortcut over the Western Bypass whilst it was being built.

Charles

Cheers Charles.
Here is a photo of the viaduct:- http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/hist...y-10272913

As I said earlier, I can remember the NCB building (which was knocked down in the mid 80's.
I can also remember the realignment of the A1 at Eighton Lodge, including the works between there and the Coalhouse Roundabout.
What was there before has vanished from memory unfortunately.