St Hilda's Pit Head Refurbishment

Tender description

The Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust (Client) wishes to appoint a single contracting organisation to undertake all elements of the works to restore St Hilda's Pit Head in South Shields, a Grade II Listed structure. The project is being supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and South Tyneside Council and it is considered feasible that a project to restore the building will start on site in May 2017. The current estimate is that this project would have a capital value of over £500,000. To achieve this ambition a Stage 2 application to the Heritage Lottery Fund must be submitted by the 30th November 2016 for a decision in March 2016. The colliery site was operational until 1940 when St Hilda's was closed and used as only a ventilation shaft for the new Westoe Colliery (closing itself in 1992). This lead to a steady demolition of the surrounding building along with the transfer of machinery from the pit leaving only the shaft top buildings required for maintenance. This included the pumping station and winding house (which form one structure) the only evidence left standing today. The majority of the works consist of replacing the roof of the winding house; inserting a new lift and staircase to the three storey building; and providing new services throughout.