Easington Colliery
| Easington Colliery | |
|---|---|
 Easington Colliery
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| Easington Colliery shown within County Durham | |
| Population | 5,022 |
| OS grid reference | NZ432437 |
| Civil parish |
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| Unitary authority | |
| Ceremonial county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Peterlee |
| Postcode district | SR8 3 |
| Police | Durham |
| Fire | County Durham and Darlington |
| Ambulance | North East |
| EU Parliament | North East England |
Easington Colliery is a former coal mining town in County Durham, England. It is situated to the north of Horden, and a short distance to the east of Easington Village. The town is known for a mining accident or disaster which occurred on 29 May 1951, when an explosion in the mine resulted in the deaths of 83 men (including 2 rescue workers). Easington had a population of 4,959 in 2001, and 5,022 at the 2011 Census.
Easington Colliery began when the pit was sunk in 1899, near the coast. Thousands of workers came to the area from all parts of Britain and with the new community came new shops, pubs, clubs, and many rows of terraced "colliery houses" for the mine workers and their families.
On 7 May 1993, the mine was closed, with the loss of 1,400 jobs, causing a decline in the local economy. The pit shaft headgear was demolished the following year.
The town's infant and junior schools were built in 1911. They are adjacent to Seaside Line but lie derelict. A development company bought the buildings in 2003 and applied for planning permission to build 39 residential units, but a public inquiry gave a ruling that protected the buildings from demolition.
It was decided in 2009 to create a new unitary authority — Durham County Council — to cover the whole of the county, and most of Easington's staff moved into new offices in Seaham. Easington District Council's office building, which had been the department's home for over eighty years, was demolished in April 2013. The fixtures and fittings, including oak desks, from the council chamber were placed in storage at Beamish Museum.
The youngest soldier to be awarded a Victoria Cross during World War II was Dennis Donnini from Easington. His father, an Italian called Alfred Donnini, had married an Englishwoman named Catherine Brown, and ran an ice cream shop in Easington. Dennis was born on 17 November 1925. He attended Corby Grammar School, Sunderland (later known as St Aidan's Catholic Academy).
In an action on 18 January 1945, Fusilier Donnini (then aged 19) was wounded twice yet still led an assault on the enemy before being killed. His gallantry had enabled his comrades to overcome twice their own number of the enemy. He is buried at the Commonwealth Cemetery in Sittard, The Netherlands.
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Wikipedia