Wigan Album
Mining
5 Comments
Photo: Barry Latham
Item #: 629
Where was this pit located please.
Smithy it's close to Beech Walk, Winstanley. I went there recently and took a few pics, including this one of the shaft marker placed there after demolition: http://www.flickr.com/photos/96685060@N03/10400010453/in/photostream/
There is a narrow path from Beech Walk which eventually passes the spoil heap and leads to the shaft which is fenced with metal railings. The whole area is now a pleasant woodland pleasant woodland walk.
Geoff, the shaft you are describing is Winstanley No5 colliery which is in some trees near Glede Wood. Baxter pit was backfilled and capped then landscaped over in the early 1980's.
My grandad Norman Bradshaw was a winder at the Baxter pit, his Grandad was killed in the explosion at the King Pit 1877.