Historic England research records

Historic England Research Records

Astley Green Colliery
Hob Uid: 623407
Location : Wigan Non Civil Parish
Grid Ref : SJ7054099927
Summary : The colliery at Astley Green was begun in 1908 by the Pilkington Colliery Company and opened for extraction of coal in 1912. In 1928 the colliery was amalgamated with a number of local pits to form part of the consortium called Manchester Colleries. In 1947 the coal industry was nationalised and this led to considerable modernisation of the mine. After 23 years of operation under the National Coal Board the mine was closed in 1970. It is now a museum. The monument includes the pit headgear for the number 1 shaft, the concrete thrust pillar for the 'tubbing' which supports the headgear and the steam winding engine in its original engine house for the number 1 shaft. The first shaft on the site (the number 1 shaft) was sunk in 1908. Because the ground was unstable and wet the shaft was sunk using a pioneering method known as a 'drop shaft' in which the hole is dropped using forged iron rings with a cutting shoe at the bottom of each ring. These 'tubbing' rings were forced into the underlying soils by the use of hydraulic jacks braced under a concrete thrust pillar. This pillar now supports the headgear. The headgear is a steel lattice construction, rivetted together, and stands 24.4 metres high. It was built by Head Wrightson of Stockton on Tees and completed in 1912. The winding engine which served this shaft is one of the largest steam winding engines in Britain. It was made by Yates and Thom of Blackburn. It has four cylinders in twin tandem compound arrangement developing 3300 horsepower at 58 rpm. The engine was installed in 1912 and took two years to complete. It is connected to a bicylindro-conical drum which in turn was connected to the headgear pulleys to wind up the coal and wind down the miners and maintenance supplies. Most of the remainder of the colliery buildings and a second shaft with its gear have been destroyed. Scheduled.
More information : The colliery at Astley Green was begun in 1908 by the Pilkington Colliery Company and opened for extraction of coal in 1912. In 1928 the colliery was amalgamated with a number of local pits to form part of the consortium called Manchester Colleries. In 1947 the coal industry was nationalised and this led to considerable modernisation of the mine. After 23 years of operation under the National Coal Board the mine was closed in 1970. It is now a museum. The monument includes the pit headgear for the number 1 shaft, the concrete thrust pillar for the 'tubbing' which supports the headgear and the steam winding engine in its original engine house for the number 1 shaft. The first shaft on the site (the number 1 shaft) was sunk in 1908. Because the ground was unstable and wet the shaft was sunk using a pioneering method known as a 'drop shaft' in which the hole is dropped using forged iron rings with a cutting shoe at the bottom of each ring. These 'tubbing' rings were forced into the underlying soils by the use of hydraulic jacks braced under a concrete thrust pillar. This pillar now supports the headgear. The headgear is a steel lattice construction, rivetted together, and stands 24.4 metres high. It was built by Head Wrightson of Stockton on Tees and completed in 1912. The winding engine which served this shaft is one of the largest steam winding engines in Britain. It was made by Yates and Thom of Blackburn. It has four cylinders in twin tandem compound arrangement developing 3300 horsepower at 58 rpm. The engine was installed in 1912 and took two years to complete. It is connected to a bicylindro-conical drum which in turn was connected to the headgear pulleys to wind up the coal and wind down the miners and maintenance supplies. Most of the remainder of the colliery buildings and a second shaft with its gear have been destroyed. Scheduled. (1-4) Recorded by NRIM, photographed. (5)

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Source Number : 1
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Source details : 14-Dec-99
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Source Number : 2
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Source details : Wigan, 27-JUL-1987
Page(s) : 35
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Source Number : 3
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Source details : The Coal Industry, 1994, Greater Manchester 4
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Source Number : 4
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Source details :
Page(s) : 34-5
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Source Number : 5
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Source details : Recorded by RL Hills, Aug-1968, Record No.IMC4
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Monument Types:

Monument Period Name : 20th Century
Display Date : Extant 1908-1970
Monument End Date : 1970
Monument Start Date : 1908
Monument Type : Colliery, Mine Shaft, Winding Gear, Steam Winder, Winder House, Steam Engine
Evidence : Subterranean Feature, Structure, Extant Building

Monument Period Name : 20th Century
Display Date : Now (from 1970)
Monument End Date :
Monument Start Date : 1970
Monument Type : Museum
Evidence : Extant Building

Components and Objects:

Related Records from other datasets:

External Cross Reference Source : Listed Building List Entry Legacy Uid
External Cross Reference Number : 213519
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : NBR Index Number
External Cross Reference Number : 91113
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : Scheduled Monument Legacy (National No.)
External Cross Reference Number : 32565
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : Listed Building List Entry Legacy Uid
External Cross Reference Number : 213520
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : NBR Index Number
External Cross Reference Number : NRI01
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : SJ 79 NW 7
External Cross Reference Notes :

Related Warden Records :

Related Activities :

Associated Activities :
Activity type : DESK BASED ASSESSMENT
Start Date : 1960-01-01
End Date : 1975-12-31

Historic England Research Records

Astley Green Colliery