Front view of a large red-brick historic building with a central green-domed roof, arched windows and a grand entrance surrounded by trees under a blue sky.
© Historic England Archive
© Historic England Archive

Miners' Hall in County Durham Listing Upgraded to Grade II*

An iconic miners’ hall, home to the ‘Pitman’s Parliament’, has been upgraded to a Grade II* listed building by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the advice of Historic England.

The Redhills Durham Miners’ Hall, in County Durham, is thought to be the most outstanding example of trades union-inspired architecture in the country. Constructed between 1913 and 1915 with an Edwardian Baroque exterior, it was purpose-built as a place where the Durham Miners Association (DMA) could meet coal owners on their own terms.

The building was originally listed at Grade II in 1988, but recent research has 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 almost 300 coal mines across County Durham and quickly became the largest miners’ union in the UK, fighting for safety, wages and social reform.

We are delighted that the Redhills Durham Miners’ Hall has been elevated to Grade II* status on our advice. Not only is it a strong symbol of the emergence of a social reform movement, which laid the groundwork for the welfare state, but a striking building representing the status and power of the largest and most powerful miners’ trade union in England. It has been barely altered over the years, and the Pitman’s Parliament is a unique space - not just for historical significance but for its craftsmanship and design

Tom Frater, Regional Director for the North Historic England

Redhills was built by working people who refused to accept that power, wealth and decision-making should belong only to coal owners and politicians. They organised, educated themselves, pooled their resources and built institutions of their own. At its heart was the Pitman’s Parliament, where miners debated wages, safety, welfare, education, housing and political representation, and helped lay the foundations for the Welfare State. That is the model the founders have left us. Redhills is not simply a monument to what working-class communities achieved in the past. It is a call to action. Thanks to a £14.1 million restoration, 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

Andrew McIntyre, Chief Executive Redhills Durham Miners’ Hall