Miners' hall listed status upgrade after £14m revamp

A 110-year-old miners' hall has been upgraded to Grade II listed status after a £14m restoration.

Redhills in Durham, which has reopened as a centre of culture, education, events and community organising, was the base of the largest miners' union in the UK.

Its new status ensures that any future changes to the property are carefully considered to protect the building's historical character.

Chief Executive of Redhills, Andrew McIntyre, said the upgrade was "national recognition for a building that belongs to the people of the Durham Coalfield" who built it and "who refused to accept that power, wealth and decision-making should belong only to coal owners and politicians".

He said: "Redhills is not simply a monument to what working-class communities achieved in the past. It is a call to action."

Built between 1913 and 1915, the Edwardian style building was purpose-built as a place where the Durham Miners Association (DMA) could meet coal owners and fight for miners' safety, wages and major social reform on their own terms.

The building was originally listed at Grade II in 1988, but recent research provided a better understanding of the quality and survival of the interiors as well as the building's historic significance in a national context.

The new listing recognises the council chamber or Pitman's Parliament, described as a "powerful statement" with high-quality stained glass, ornate plasterwork and bespoke Austrian fixtures creating "an outstanding space exemplifying the social evolution of the times".

The DMA was formed in 1869 representing pitmen from about 300 coal mines across County Durham.

The Pitman's Parliament was a unique democratic assembly with a seat for a delegate from each of Durham's pits, giving miners a platform to voice their concerns, shape the future of their industry and debate issues far beyond wages and conditions.

McIntyre said: "Redhills is entering a new chapter as a living centre for culture, education, events and community organising.

"Our task now is to work with former Coalfield villages to rebuild the Coalfield Commonwealth for future generations."

Although coal mining across the Durham Coalfield ended 40 years ago, and much of the physical evidence of its once-dominant presence has disappeared, Redhills remains a powerful focal point for the living culture and shared values of Coalfield communities.

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