Newcastle Coal Trade

The coastal shipping of Tyneside coal to London that fueled the growth of the capital and trained generations of seamen.

Overview

From the late medieval period, and on a vast scale from the 16th century as wood grew scarce, colliers carried sea coal from the Tyne and Wear down the North Sea coast to the Thames. By the 17th and 18th centuries hundreds of ships sailed the run, and the trade was one of the largest in Britain. The Newcastle Hostmen held a monopoly on loading, and London taxed the coal to rebuild churches after the Great Fire. The collier fleet was a nursery for the Royal Navy, and James Cook learned his seamanship on Whitby colliers. Railways and steam colliers transformed the trade in the 19th century.