Lancashire Mining Museum
The engine house and headgear from the Lancashire coalfield are still only available from Astley Green Colliery – Lancashire Mining Museum. The headpiece is constructed from riveted plates at each junction of wrought iron lattice girders. One huge wheel and one mini wheel are on the top. It was built by Head Wrightson of Stockton-on-Tees and is almost 30 metres (98 feet) tall. In 1912, it was completed. [3] A dual twin compounded steam engine built by Blackburn’s Yates and partner Thom, who also supplied more than 15 Lancashire made boilers, is housed in the winding room. The largest steam winding machine employed on the coalfield is located in the engine house. The dual twin compound engine of 3,300 horsepower was made by Yates & Thom in Blackburn.
The largest collection of twenty eight-colliery locomotives in the UK is also housed there.
On the edge of Chat Moss, in a region that historically had a lot of collieries, is the charming community of Astley Green.
In the centre of the village sits the Astley Green Colliery Museum. It would have suffered the same fate as all the other collieries in this region—total demolition—had it not been for the vision of Lancashire County Council and other community leaders. The 3,300 horsepower dual tandem compound steam-winding engine used to power the destruction was unusual, preventing it from happening. The lone enginehouse and headgear left in Lancashire are now housed in the museum and have been given scheduled and listed monument status.
The Lancashire museum is located on the Astley Green Colliery site, which has a total area of about fifteen acres.
To the south are Astley Moss and the Bridgewater Canal. These mossland locations are crucial. Because of the low-lying landscape, the museum’s 98-foot-tall lattice steel headgear—a fitting homage to bygone eras—can be seen for miles.
Other than the steam winding engine headgear and steam winding engines, the museum contains a wide variety of other exhibits. Not to mention the group of twenty eight colliery locomotives, which is the biggest of its kind in the UK.
The colliery was built in 1908 with the intention of mining coal from the south Lancashire Coalfield.
If not for the time’s rising coal consumption, the project would not have been feasible.
The coal seams at Lancashire Mining are almost 100 feet deep and are covered by squishy, unstable earth.
Due to these factors, sinking the shaft was an expensive project.
Numerous of these needs were unique and put the engineers’ engineering expertise to the test. The Institute of Mining Engineers received a paper on the sinking of this shaft. The colliery only operated for 62 years. In 1970, it shut its doors. Despite the colliery’s very brief history, several photographic and written records as well as some historical documents have persisted. This made it possible to thoroughly examine the colliery’s construction and subsequent operation.
The museum is run and preserved by The Red Rose Steam Society Limited, an registered organised charity with offices in Lancashire.
What Our Customers Think About Us
Linda is always on time, works thoroughly and always leaves me with a smile.
— Helen. ● Lowton – Lancs
Excellent services from Powerdusters and really pleased with the results.
— Leanne. ● Worsley – Salford
Anna is a great help to me as she does a good job of tidying my flat each week.
— Harry. ● Mosley Common, Tyldesley