Never a big producer, John Pit had a long life. Sunk by John Taylor in 1836, it was hidden in woodland in Standish Lower Ground and soon connected by rail to both the Leeds-Liverpool Canal and the main Wigan-Preston railway.
The two shafts were close together
and used flat ropes for many decades. A single central winding engine served both shafts.
Around 200 men worked here for most of the pit's life but it reached a peak at 316 in 1945.
When the NCB took over in 1947, they sank Standish Hall drift mine even deeper in the woods to work John Pit's remaining coal. John closed in 1954 when long tunnels from Standish Hall had been completed. The colliery railway stayed in use until 1963. There are still traces of John, Standish Hall and Taylor Pit to be found in the area.