Dawdon

Dawdon is a former pit community to the south of Seaham, County Durham, England.^[2] An area of the beach near Dawdon (known locally as "the Blast", a former waste coal dumping site) was used in the opening scenes of the science fiction film Alien 3.^[3]

Dawdon
Lumps of coal among the rocks on Dawdon Blast Beach
Dawdon Location within County Durham
Population	7,220 (2011 census)[1]
OS grid reference	NZ433484
Civil parish	Seaham
Unitary authority	County Durham
Ceremonial county	Durham
Region	North East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	SEAHAM
Postcode district	SR7
Dialling code	0191
Police	Durham
Fire	County Durham and Darlington
Ambulance	North East
UK Parliament	Easington
List of places UK England County Durham 54.829°N 1.327°W / 54.829; -1.327

Blast Beach near Dawdon was used for exterior shots of the planet Fiorina "Fury" 161 in Alien 3.

History

The township of Dawdon (commonly spelled Dawden on old records and maps) was in the parish of Dalton-le-Dale^[4] and consisted of an area of 1,088 acres between the Durham coast and the townships of Seaham, Dalton-le-Dale and Cold Hesledon. Seaham Harbour was built in the township. The port and town grew during the 19th century. In 1866 Dawdon became a separate civil parish and became part of Seaham Harbour urban district, on 1 April 1937 the parish was abolished and merged with Seaham.^[5] and became part of the new Seaham urban district.^[6]

"The population in 1801 was 22; in 1811, 27; in 1821, 35; in 1831, in consequence of the construction of a new harbour, it had increased to 1022; in 1841, 2017; in 1851, 3538; in 1861, 6137; in 1871, 7132; in 1881, 7714; and in 1891, 9044."^[7] In 1931 the parish had a population of 19,399.^[8]

Climate

Dawdon
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     56     6 1     39     7 1     51     9 2     52     11 3     50     15 6     55     17 9     45     20 11     61     20 11     58     17 9     57     13 6     62     9 3     59     7 2 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °C █ Precipitation totals in mm Source: [9]
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     2.2     43 33     1.5     44 33     2     48 36     2     52 38     1.9     58 42     2.2     63 47     1.8     68 51     2.4     67 51     2.3     62 47     2.2     55 43     2.4     48 38     2.3     45 35 █ Average max. and min. temperatures in °F █ Precipitation totals in inches

Like the rest of the United Kingdom, Dawdon has a temperate climate. At 643.3 millimetres (25 in)^[9] the average annual rainfall is lower than the national average of 1,125 millimetres (44 in).^[10] Equally there are only around 121.3 days^[9] where more than 1 millimetre (0.04 in) of rain falls compared with a national average of 154.4 days.^[10] The area sees on average 1374.6 hours of sunshine per year,^[9] compared with a national average of 1125.0 hours.^[10] There is frost on 52 days^[9] compared with a national average of 55.6 days.^[10] Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures are 12.5 °C (54.5 °F) and 5.2 °C (41.4 °F)^[9] compared with a national averages of 12.1 °C (53.8 °F) and 5.1 °C (41.2 °F) respectively.^[10]

The table below gives the average temperature and rainfall figures taken between 1971 and 2000 at the Met Office weather station in Durham:

v t e Climate data for Durham Coordinates 54°46′04″N 1°35′04″W; elevation: 102 m (335 ft)[11] 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1843–2023 Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °C (°F) 16.3 (61.3) 17.4 (63.3) 21.8 (71.2) 24.1 (75.4) 29.0 (84.2) 30.4 (86.7) 36.9 (98.4) 32.5 (90.5) 30.0 (86.0) 25.3 (77.5) 19.3 (66.7) 15.9 (60.6) 36.9 (98.4) Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 6.9 (44.4) 7.8 (46.0) 9.9 (49.8) 12.5 (54.5) 15.4 (59.7) 18.0 (64.4) 20.2 (68.4) 19.9 (67.8) 17.4 (63.3) 13.5 (56.3) 9.7 (49.5) 7.1 (44.8) 13.2 (55.8) Daily mean °C (°F) 4.1 (39.4) 4.6 (40.3) 6.2 (43.2) 8.3 (46.9) 10.9 (51.6) 13.6 (56.5) 15.8 (60.4) 15.6 (60.1) 13.3 (55.9) 10.0 (50.0) 6.6 (43.9) 4.2 (39.6) 9.5 (49.1) Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 1.3 (34.3) 1.4 (34.5) 2.5 (36.5) 4.1 (39.4) 6.5 (43.7) 9.3 (48.7) 11.3 (52.3) 11.3 (52.3) 9.2 (48.6) 6.5 (43.7) 3.6 (38.5) 1.4 (34.5) 5.7 (42.3) Record low °C (°F) −16.9 (1.6) −18.0 (−0.4) −15.0 (5.0) −11.1 (12.0) −4.8 (23.4) −0.8 (30.6) 1.4 (34.5) 0.0 (32.0) −1.7 (28.9) −5.3 (22.5) −12.0 (10.4) −16.4 (2.5) −18.0 (−0.4) Average precipitation mm (inches) 51.8 (2.04) 44.6 (1.76) 41.1 (1.62) 51.2 (2.02) 44.4 (1.75) 61.0 (2.40) 60.9 (2.40) 66.5 (2.62) 56.9 (2.24) 63.4 (2.50) 73.0 (2.87) 61.0 (2.40) 675.7 (26.60) Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 11.8 9.9 8.6 9.1 8.6 9.9 10.7 10.3 9.4 11.8 12.0 12.0 124.1 Mean monthly sunshine hours 60.9 84.4 121.7 160.8 187.1 167.1 174.3 167.3 135.3 98.9 64.6 57.6 1,480 Source 1: Met Office[12] Source 2: Durham Weather[13][14][15]

Dawdon Colliery

A new pit was created at Dawdon and new shafts sunk in the rocky coastal area of Noses Point, near Dawdon beginning in 1900. The colliery opened for production in 1907.^[16] Dawdon Colliery closed on the 25th of July, 1991.^[17]

Dawdon Miners' Welfare Club

The Club was a prominent community hub built in 1909 and funded by contributions from local coal miners. The club served as a central venue for social gatherings, including weddings, wakes, and public meetings, and held cultural significance in the area. It also featured in the 2000 film Billy Elliot, symbolizing the community's mining heritage.^[18]

See also

• History of County Durham