As a new member I was somewhat disappointed to note a lack of information in respect of the former Lancashire coal field. There must be over 1000 former collieries in the area including Burnley, Manchester, Wigan, St Helens, Leigh, Ashton under Lyne, Oldham etc. There are in addition a number of less known coal fields, Stockport -(Poynton, Bredbury, Hyde), Chorley, Adlington, Pot Shrigley Bolton - the list goes on. The best source of location is www.old-maps.co.uk which gives unlimted and free access to old maps dating back to the 1840's. Perhaps the biggest missing coal field is that serviced by the Duke of Bridgewaters Undeground Canals which comprised approximately 50 mines of underground waterways going north from the Worsley Delph only 3 miles to the west of Manchester City Centre.

All the information here has been added by the members.
We all have added what we know. I guess we don't know much about the area. Since you seem to know more than us maybe you could upload some 😉

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The Bridgewater Canal Coal Mine is in the DB with some interesting links but I assume all the coal mines won't be covered.

http://www.aditnow.co.uk/mines/Duke-of-Bridgewater-Canal-Coal-Mine/?gowhere=%2fmines%2f%3fpID%3d1%3fpid%3d1%26ac%3dA%26ad%3d50 

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There is indeed a distinct lack of information or information that is very vague. It doesn;t help matters when key coal producing areas such as Wigan the council like to deny all knowledge of industry and hope that the dirty industry dissapears.

Personally I have a copy of Donald Andersons The Orrell Coalfield but its out of print and again leaves you frustrated with the vagueness of it all as Donald Anderson new where it all was. His standish Collieries book is also good but I've not yet read it. Alan Davies is another good source of information his website www.coalpits.co.ukhttp://www.coalpits.co.uk  gives you an idea of what he can provide. Also this site homepage.ntlworld.com/bernard.platt/INDEX.htmhttp://homepage.ntlworld.com/bernard.platt/INDEX.htm  has some good info.A site I'm involved with www.wiganhistorysearch.co.ukhttp://www.wiganhistorysearch.co.uk  has a section on mining. If anything mining wise on there takes your fancy contact me through here or through that site and I'll see what I can offer in the way of information.

The stuff I see is mostly round the Wigan area as this is where I am based but am looking for my own interest to expland and cover the North West in relation to Coal mining in particular.

This site may also be of some help.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cmhrc/lomindex.htm 

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A friend up their may have a list from the various authorities giving gr´s and names.... then all it means is someone entering them all and getting the detail. I will ask as I am sure he had this.

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I've got a list of shafts for the Billinge area of Wigan I will put some of it up on the main lists as I gradually check them off the list and make sure that they are as described....

Does your list include the coal mines in Orrell. I Am interested in the mine that the Baldwins owned in about the 1880's near Orrell post.
Regards peter

The Poynton Collieries are covered here:

http://www.brocross.com/poynton/intro.htm 

If you seek any specific information about Cheshire colllieries let me know.

I am gradually adding mines from the NW and will do Orrell area etc prob this spring when I walk the area. Since this post started I have added a large amount of mines for the NW area and I don't think its looking to bad now.

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I would certainly like to see some stuff about the mines in the Worsley Mesnes area of Wigan, and their influence upon the formation of the 'Flashes' that litter the place all the way out to Leigh. Photos too please, old and new? 🙂 🙂 🙂

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Check-out this site. It's a long list of different Wigan industries but well worth trawling through, the old mining photos are pretty impressive.

http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/album2.php?opt=3 

Yup, I know this site well and its got lots of really good shots.
I registered about 3 years ago but some info is still scant.

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I have tried several times to sign up to the Wiganworld website , but he has some sort of weird rule about not allowing any website ending in hotmail , gmail, yahoo etc

I am 56 years old and very limited on IT
so haven't a bloody clue what he is on about ?
my email address is a hotmail
I have emailed the guy three times asking to join , each time being ignored and not receiving so much as a reply



This from his registration page
Good news!

Registration is open again for genuine users.

Genuine?

We're accepting new user accounts from proper, accountable email addresses.

Please do not try to register from a web based email address, for example, hotmail.com, yahoo.com, gmail.com etc... Anonymous users aren't welcome, if you've got something to hide, we don't want you as a member.

BT, Virgin, personal/business domains are welcome.

Too many idiots were spoiling the website so we had to close new registrations. We've re-opened it on a trial basis. If you'd like to join, please email a preferred user name and password to [email protected] from a proper email address.

Oh, and please allow up to 48 hours for a response, thanks.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/58385119@N07/sets/72157625857135385  I'm gradually trying to take a few more pictures of different shafts and locations. If there are any questions particularly about the Orrell and Dalton/Parbold areas then just ask away.

In 1871 Edward Baldwin owned a small coal mine near Orrell Post employing just 12 workers . Have you any details of this mine.
D Anderson in his book on Orrell mines states that a George Baldwin worked the Bone seam about this time over an area of 14 acres near Orrell Post
I cannot find details of George Baldwin in the 1871 census, perhaps they are the same person . Any information on this subject would be appreciated.

The registration thing sounds somewhat odd. I have a yahoo Acct but it ends with .co.uk and not .com.

On the subject of Orrell, I always wondered if any discoveries were made during the driving of the half mile rail tunnel between Orrell and Up Holland station.

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as far as Oldham goes there have been over 300 pits spanning centuries, some pits have been renamed several times and reconstituted a few times, some collieries had many shafts associated with them. For example warmbley woods in limeside which seems to incorporate the stag pasture pits and totals over 6,but records are scant and rather than guess or get the names wrong I opted not to upload the earlier pits.
in Oldham old maps shows hundreds of shafts marked "air shaft" or "old coal pit" these unfortunately are lost to history in a lot of cases.
one day I will get round to uploading the 100 or so pits I know about 😢

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Orrell Post was listed in the Lists of Mines in the Inspector of Mines Reports 1873-1878, and listed as abandoned in 1879. An abandonment plan does not seem to have been deposited. Owner & manager Edard Baldwin, who was not a certified manager but the colliery was recorded as employing less than 30 persons. I don't have the lists of Mines for 1868-1872, it does not seem to appear in 1867.

Upholland Tunnel will have been driven in about 1840. The The last mine to shut on Tower Hill/Billinge Hill was Bispham Brick and Terracotta in the late 70's/early 80's. There is also Lower Mountain Mine colliery which I think closed in 1928 so was mining after the drivage of the tunnel. The tunnel passes though sandstone measures which were qaurried extensively in Billinge and Upholland right along the ridge from Billinge Beacon to Ashurst Beacon. There are 4 old shafts marked on the 1928 Geological Survey map on the line of the the tunnel. Upper Mountain Mine will be two of the shafts and the other will be Lawns Farm Shafts.