Vane Tempest Sculpture

The Vane Tempest colliery named in honour of Lady Frances Anne Vane Tempest, was in operation from 1926 until 1993. Coal was mined at the two pits here and at it's height in 1935, there were over 1300 people employed at the colliery.

The Vane Tempest sculpture was created by Michael Johnson, and can be interpreted in a number of ways. Fundamentally it represents the colliery buildings, including the winding gear, boiler house, and chimney and honours the backbreaking labour of the miners who toiled beneath the North Sea. However, the abstract nature of the piece means it can also be interpreted as a ship, perhaps a nod to Seaham's maritime past.

Information panels on the base of the sculpture delve deeper into the idea behind the artwork. They detail the work of the miners, the technological advancements that shaped the industry, and the eventual decline that left a deep scar on the community. Just beyond the sculpture, there are also metal inlays on the pavement which represent the vast network of tunnels that snaked for miles beneath the North Sea.

Michael Johnson was the lead artist on the project 'Turning the Tide', which revamped the Durham coastline after 150 years of industry. The project was opened by The Queen in 2002 by the unveiling of one of Michael's sculptures.