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Photos of Wigan
Photos of Wigan



Wigan Album

Bickershaw Colliery

3 Comments

Plank Lane circa 1969
Plank Lane circa 1969
Photo: ArthurP
Views: 2,824
Item #: 31061
These houses were in the part of Plank Lane that was within the boundary of the old Abram Urban District Council. They were surrounded by the Colliery buildings and structures. The shadow of the overhead gantries can be seen in the photo. The houses were demolished in the early 1970s.

Comment by: Alan on 16th March 2019 at 11:45

I first thought it was Coronation St.

Comment by: Albert.S. on 16th March 2019 at 14:04

I wonder if ever the ladies living in those houses ever hung out their washing on the outside line?

Comment by: EricR. on 5th August 2019 at 23:27

Trying to figure out where this location was. The only gantry which crossed over Plank Lane was above the railway crossing, between the pit offices and the pit canteen. Was the apparently derelict shop the chip shop?. The only other shop around there was the Co- op which was located at the far end of the terrace, and when I was around 10 yrs old was managed by Mr Butterworth, and his lead assistant was Maisy. The white hazard line in the centre of the road does confirm a main road, and the houses did have small front gardens. Albert is right about the washing. There was always about an inch at least of coal dust packed against the roadside kerb, and when it rained heavily the whole width of the road was turned into a carpet of black sludge. well churned by the constant flow of coal lorries. The noise of the steam driven pit winding engines was constant, even more so when they were being roused in the late evening, so the residents certainly had something to contend with when Bickershaw Colliery was in full production. There must be some old Plonk Loaners who can confirm the location. All had gone when I last drove through there, didn't recognise the place, still I had been absent for about forty years.

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