Introduction

Seaton Sluice is situated half a mile north of, and formed part of, the old village of Hartley, of which the earliest records date from 1097, when it was in the possession of the monks of Tynemouth. Hartley was the name given to the whole of the area between the Brier Dene at Whitley and the Seaton Burn on the Blyth coastal road.

In the early years, apart from the Rivers Tyne and Tweed, there were no natural harbours along the Northumbrian coastline and so with the growth of the coal trade it became a necessity to develop new ports. Although Seaton Sluice was mentioned in 1565 in a drawn-up list of Northumbrian ports, it was then just a natural harbour.

Just over 200 years ago Seaton Sluice became the centre of a flourishing coal and glass trade, exporting to western Europe, and for its size was the centre of greater commercial activity than any other town on the North East coast with ships of up to 300 tons burden visiting the tiny harbour. It was from the 30-odd pits in the district near Hartley township where the coal was mined.

Employing hundreds of seamen and providing a living for miners, ropemakers, sailmakers, shipbui1ders, insurance brokers, also investment opportunities for numerous shareholders, trade at Seaton Sluice once rivalled that of North Shields and Blyth and its success was entirely due to the entrepreneurial and engineering skills of the Delaval family.

From a natural rill at the beginning of the 17th century, the harbour of Seaton Sluice was transformed by Sir Ralph Delaval between 1660 and l690 to satisfy an increasing demand for Hartley coal. Stone walls were raised, piers were built at the north entrance to the harbour and an ingenious system of sluice gates installed, which enabled the tidal waves to scour the bottom of the channel to remove sand and silt which continually built up in the harbour entrance. These early improvements were not entirely successful due to the limited depth of water in the natural harbour and ships had to be part-loaded then taken out into deeper water at the entrance of the harbour to be loaded to their full capacity by keel boats, adding both to the expense and causing delays. Access to the harbour was also extremely difficult when a North-East wind prevailed and the limitations of these early improvements to the harbour, in coping with the ever-increasing trade in coal arid salt, were soon realised.

By the middle of the 18th century Sir John Hussey Delaval in conjunction with his brother, Thomas Delaval, had drawn up plans and specifications to cut a new harbour eastward through solid rock. Tenders were invited in August 1761 in the Newcastle Courant and by 1764 the work was completed. A major engineering feat in its day the 'cut, or 'gut' as it is now locally known, was some 270 metres long. 9 metres wide, 15 metres deep. On the 22 August 1764 with Captain Curry at the helm, the 'Warkworth' was the first to sail out of the new harbour with a cargo of 270 tonne of coal.

Today, Seaton Sluice has changed into a quiet resort which shows little sign of its industrial past. The bottleworks and ships have long since gone, and the Seaton Burn trickles gently down into the once busy little harbour where small fishing boats now occupy the moorings. Many of the old inns and ale houses of the day have also disappeared, but despite this Seaton Sluice still has many hidden secrets and stories to tell!