Ashington

21 June 2026

Ashington is a town whose identity has been forged by coal mining, community, and resilience. Situated in the heart of the Northumberland coalfield, it grew rapidly during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as demand for coal transformed what had been a small rural settlement into one of the largest mining towns in England. Collieries dominated the landscape and the local economy, while generations of families depended upon the industry for their livelihoods. The town became known not only for mining but also for the remarkable Ashington Group, the ‘Pitmen Painters’, whose work offered a unique insight into working-class life in the coalfield.