Haswell, County Durham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Haswell |
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 St Paul's Parish Church, Haswell |
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 Haswell
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| Population | 1,831 (2011) |
| OS grid reference | NZ375433 |
| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | DURHAM |
| Postcode district | DH6 |
| Dialling code | 0191 |
| Police | Durham |
| Fire | County Durham and Darlington |
| Ambulance | North East |
| EU Parliament | North East England |
| UK Parliament |
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Haswell is a small village located in County Durham, England. It is about 6 miles (9.7 km) east of the city of Durham. You can also find it about 9 miles (14 km) south of Sunderland and 3.1 miles (5.0 km) north-west of Peterlee.
History of Haswell
The very first settlement of Haswell was on a hilltop. This area is now known as High Haswell. Later, the village center moved downhill to its current spot on Salter's Lane.
Early Challenges
In the 1300s, a terrible sickness called the Black Death spread across Europe. It sadly caused the population of Haswell to almost disappear.
The Coal Mining Era
In the early 1800s, people discovered coal under Haswell. A coal mine, called a colliery, was opened by 1831. Haswell became famous for having the world's first coal mine that used a strong steel cable to lower things down its deep mine shaft.
However, a sad event happened on September 28, 1844. An explosion of a gas called blackdamp occurred at the Haswell Coal Company mine. This accident tragically took the lives of 95 workers. Only four people survived.
The coal mine eventually closed in 1896. After the mine shut down, many miners moved away to find new jobs. By 1901, Haswell's population had greatly decreased. It then became a quiet, rural village once more.
Famous People from Haswell
Haswell is the birthplace of a world champion cyclist named Tom Simpson. He was born on November 30, 1937. Tom was a very talented road racing cyclist. Sadly, he passed away at the age of 29 while competing in the 1967 Tour de France on a mountain called Mont Ventoux.
