Wigan Album
Kirkless Colliery & Iron Works
8 Comments
Photo: Ian Spencer
Item #: 17320
The before look, looks older than 1960-65. I didnt think that there was much left in 1965????
These shots are of two different locations!!!!
I think Scholes Mac is right. The lower pic looks like my patch. The canal is the Leigh Branch of the L&L, and the railway the West Coast Main Line. The Cemeteries are in view - with Cemetery Road doing a dog-leg as it crosses the railway. The site in the centre is that of Ince Moss Colliery tips. A 'before' shot of this area would actually show almost as great a change over the years, and one exists, although from around 90 degrees to the North.
Definately wrong 'after' photo. I will post a better picture and map to help
did this not become the NCB workshops, my dad was working there about 1965?
I stand corrected, i think i got mixed up as it says Springs Branch is in the background sorry folks.
the iron works closed in 1929 i read somwhere
My grandad, Jimmy Cain, was furnace keeper at the furnace closest to the canal until the works closed about 1930. I believe in its day Kirkless was the 3rd largest iron and steel complex in Europe. Jimmy Cain went on to run Cain's bakery at the bottom of Belle Green Lane, later Ashursts. Through my dad Jack I heard many tales of life up at the ironworks, funny and sad. Anyone out there who grew up around the top of BGL in the 1920s and 30s?