The Northumberland Coalfield is a coalfield

Coalfield

A coalfield is an area of certain uniform characteristics where coal is mined. The criteria for determining the approximate boundary of a coalfield are geographical and cultural, in addition to geological...

 in north-east England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. It is continuous with the Durham Coalfield

Durham Coalfield

The Durham Coalfield is a coalfield in north-east England. It is continuous with the Northumberland Coalfield to its north. It extends from Bishop Auckland in the south to the boundary with the county of Northumberland along the River Tyne in the north, beyond which is the Northumberland...

 to its south. It extends from Amble

Amble

Amble is a town, civil parish and seaport on the North Sea coast, in Northumberland, England. It lies at the mouth of the River Coquet, and the nearby Coquet Island is clearly visible from its beaches and harbour. The civil parish, which has town status, is called Amble by the Sea, and has a...

 in the north to the boundary with County Durham

County Durham

County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...

 along the River Tyne

River Tyne

The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...

 in the south, beyond which is the Durham Coalfield

Durham Coalfield

The Durham Coalfield is a coalfield in north-east England. It is continuous with the Northumberland Coalfield to its north. It extends from Bishop Auckland in the south to the boundary with the county of Northumberland along the River Tyne in the north, beyond which is the Northumberland...

.

The two contiguous coalfield areas were often referred to as the Durham and Northumberland Coalfield(s) or as the Great Northern Coalfield.

Coal seams

The following coal seams are recorded from the Northumberland Coalfield. They are listed here in stratigraphic order with the youngest at the top and the oldest/deepest at the bottom. Not all seams are named and not all occur at any one locality.

Pennine Coal Measures Group

(Westphalian

Westphalian (stage)

The Westphalian is a stage in the regional stratigraphy of northwest Europe with an age between roughly 313 and 304 Ma . It is a subdivision of the Carboniferous system or period and the regional Silesian series. The Westphalian is named for the region of Westphalia in western Germany where strata...

)

Upper Coal Measures

• Killingworth
• West Moor
• Top Hebburn Fell
• Bottom Hebburn Fell
• Usworth

Middle Coal Measures

• Burradon
• Rowlington
• Top Ryhope Five-Quarter
• Bottom Ryhope Five-Quarter
• Ryhope Little
• Top Moorland
• Bottom Moorland
• Ashington
• High Main
• Metal
• Five-Quarter
• Bentinck
• Yard
• Top Bensham
• Bottom Bensham
• Top Durham Low Main
• Bottom Durham Low Main
• Northumberland Low Main
• Broomhill Main
• Top Plessey
• Plessey
• Bottom Plessey

Lower Coal Measures

• Beaumont
• Bottom Beaumont
• Top Tilley
• Tilley
• Bottom Tilley
• Top Busty
• Bottom Busty
• Three-Quarter
• Stobswood New
• Brockwell
• Victoria
• Stobswood
• Marshall Green
• Ganister Clay
• Gubeon
• Saltwick

Yoredale Group

Stainmore Formation (Namurian

Namurian

The Namurian is a stage in the regional stratigraphy of northwest Europe with an age between roughly 326 and 313 Ma . It is a subdivision of the Carboniferous system or period and the regional Silesian series. The Namurian is named for the Belgian city and province of Namur where strata of this age...

)

• Stanton
• Top Netherwitton
• Bottom Netherwitton
• Top Coatyards
• Bottom Coatyards
• Little Limestone

Alston Formation (Visean

Viséan

The Visean, Viséan or Visian is an age in the ICS geologic timescale or a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is the second stage of the Mississippian, the lower subsystem of the Carboniferous. The Visean lasted from 345.3 ± 2.1 to 328.3 ± 1.6 Ma...

)

• Parrot
• Townhead
• Shilbottle (Acre)
• Beadnell
• Greenses
• Blackhill
• Main