coastal erosion

Coastal erosion is clearly evident here at Druridge Bay, Northumberland, ancient peat beds under  later deposits of sand are now exposed. The problem is not soley caused by rising sea levels but by extensive sand extraction in the past for  Ready Mixed Concrete (RMC).

Coal

Coal mining  was once the lifeblood of the North-East's economy. Records of coal mining in the region date back to Roman times and by  1919, there were 223,000 coal miners working in the Northumberland and Durham coalfields. Today there are no mines operating and only a few  open cast works remain. Under the North Sea some coal seams are exposed and coal dust is occasionally swept up on local beaches reminding us of a proud industrial heritage ( click here for detailed historical information)