Report - Pemberton Colliery, Wigan, 1970

[Bovine]

This was a site that I had often seen from the train. Normally when a colliery closes, it is rapidly bulldozed out of existence, but this site seemed to be just left, complete with railway track!
Towards the end of the eighteenth century, the first shallow mine was opened by the Blundell family and after 1865, when two 18 foot diameter shafts were sunk over 600 yards to the Orrell seams, a large complex grew up which included coke ovens. By-products included coal distillates, bricks and tiles. The last coal was wound in 1946, but the washery was retained into the 1960's for opencast workings in the area.
There was re-working of colliery waste on part of the site, but most of it was derelict when I visited. Ignoring the usual signs, I made for a tin shed with the doors open, but was accosted by an old bloke who wanted to know what I was doing. After explaining, he produced a booklet about the colliery, which I photographed.
The shed contained a steam and a diesel loco and the lads that were working in there kindly pulled them outside for a picture. It seems that they were stored for a project. The rest of the site seemed to be gently decaying, so after a few pics and a climb of the waste heap, with one of the train lads, I departed.
I only remembered these pics recently and thought that it would be nice to share them. Enjoy.

From Pemberton Station

Old miner with book about the pit

Old Engine Shed

Elderly Avonside loco

Fowler diesel loco, with Blackpool Corporation on it

Old footbridge and a triangle to the main line

Looking towards the washery

Towards Pemberton and a bit of rail sculpture!

Ascent of the muck heap

King of the hill! Westwood Power Station in background


Now no trace remains

 

[Apathamus]

Hi
I was one of the Engine Lads , we moved the Avonside to Standish hen to Red Rose at Astley Green . The wagons were very old one wood one iron, they went to a seperate museum. I think I went up the spoil tip.
I still live locally

 

[TedMac319]

We bought the Steam loco for £160 in 1968. The colliery site was run by Wm Todd & Co who operated opencast screens there and extracted shale from the tips. They let us have the loco shed and free use of all the track. The diesel was owned by a guy called Sidney Littler and eventually was scrapped. It was a good little runner though. To start it, I had to carry a large battery from my home in Standish - or you could push start it with the steam loco, which is now at Foxfield in Staffs.