– Coal extraction over the last century
– Permian rocks above Carboniferous rocks
– Glacial deposits from the last ice age
– Dumping of mining waste

The story of coal from Carboniferous deposits, how it forms, and its extraction history at the Blast Beach.

Nose’s Point: Once an industrial hub, coal mining left rock waste dumped on nearby beaches. Clues remain today.

Nose’s Point: Once an industrial hub, coal mining left rock waste dumped on nearby beaches. Clues remain today.

Blast Beach waste reveals mining history: old conveyor belt fragments and railway track sections confirm coal transport and mining activity.

Blast Beach’s man-made platform, unique on a rocky coast, protects cliffs from marine forces, allowing unexpected plant growth. Exceptional and surprising.

Miner’s boots, like nail boots, are part of Blast Beach’s industrial history. Thousands were buried in rock waste. Rare find today.

As you head south, Blast Beach shifts from flat to convex profile due to sediment. Red lagoons form, coloured by iron-rich Carboniferous rocks.

At Blast Beach’s south, a remarkable red lagoon formed by rock waste from mining activity. Iron-rich water interacts with Carboniferous rocks.

The beach has two intriguing features, a reverse gradient and red lagoons creating a surreal environment.

Erosion on Durham’s limestone coast, slowed by rock waste, will increase due to climate change, sea level rise, and waste removal.