Newfoundland Colliery Worthington

Who ran it, when was it a working pit, and was there a rail connexion? Can't find it mentioned in Industrial Railways of the Wigan Coalfield. Winder can you help me yet again?

I've been trying to find some pics I took of the site from about 4 yrs ago.
I'll post them along with info tomorrow.

Thanks winder. Think I've seen your pic of no2 pit collapsed shaft but any other info very welcome. Thought I could rely on you.

The info I thought I had, about the pit, is in a book called, The Standish Collieries by Donald Anderson and John Lane.

But it looks like I haven't got the book any more, so here's a few pics that I've found.

Wigan history

No2 Pit in background

No2 again

Stonework near top of shaft

Location

The pits are at the top end of Worthington Lakes.
Not much to see at No1 but No2 is quite easy to spot.

Thanks Winder, will take a look soon. Do you think it came under the Arley Collieries?

I can't remember what the info said in the Standish Collieries book, flaggy.
I don't think it was ever owned by the Wigan Coal & Iron Co and it was a bit remote for any rail connection to a main line railway.

What it could have had was a tramroad, through the fields to Chorley Rd.

I wondered about a tramroad. The nearest rail connexion would have been Red Rock maybe but as the Industrial Railways of the Wigan Coalfield doesn't mention it I assume it wasn't connected. Any idea when it was an active pit?

Possibly in the 1840s or summat around there.

Go to the library and borrow the Standish Collieries.

Thanks winder

winder, those are very interesting pictures. one is mentioned near Brynhall Colliery and it makes me wonder if the two "Welsh" pit shafts near the main liverpool- Wigan line in that area have been completely filled in and levelled since the days in the late 1920s/30s when we used to throw stones over the surronding brick walls and listen to the vibrations as they hit the shaft sides and then the bottom.
Also No1 shaft at Brynhall which was walled off but which I visited many times during my early working life and approached from No2 shaft where we had pumping machinery in the No6 foot seam.

Sorry for the late reply, Norman. I've been doing a few outside jobs at home, before the rain starts again.

I didn't take the pics around Bryn Hall pit and I don't really know much about the area apart from what I've seen in old photos and maps.

What I did notice on a map from the 1870s was that Bryn Moss coll had it's own canal arm from the Leigh branch.

Finally got to see the pit. Winder, how easy/difficult is it to see No 1 pit and what's the best way to access the Swire Pit site?

First of all here's a link to some info about Chisnall Hall Coll.
i-spy put it up about 4 yrs back and resurected it last week.
He put it in people in stead of places.Chisnall
I took some pics of it a while back and put them on a blog.

No1 is just to the North about 100/150yds away there isn't a lot to see but you can make out where the shaft was.
Scroll up the page and you can see it on "Location" link.

Swire pits are easy to find. Turn into Roundmoor Rd off the A49, go down 100yds road splits, take the right fork, almost immediately turn left into dirt road that takes you past Roundmoor Farm and leads to Wakefields Farm. Keep following the road for about 200 yds and you'll see Wakefields in distance park near the foot ball field.
The pits are in the wood.
Another blog showing Swire Pits

Winder, as always many many thanks.

A am continually amazed at the number of colliery sites in and around Wigan. It's a wonder there is sufficient ground left under the place to keep it from falling into one great hole! Good thing there were so many mills around as well. You would have been able to make enough rope to pull everyone out successfully and head to the nearest pub to talk about it! You are such a great bunch!

You are right Dave southwest Lancashire must be a rabbit warren underneath. I was in the Summersales last week and a section was fenced off with 'Unstable Ground' signs. A newish estate isn't more than a few yards up the bank. As for being a great bunch there is a group of kindred spirits on here Winder, Orlando, Cadfael, Me etc. who love the old industrial remains and it is great to swap notes. I suppose if we have a family past involving Wigan we are visiting sites our forefathers knew, maybe worked at.As Winder says in his DVDs get your boots on and explore.

The fenced off shaft at summersales is possible mill pit or is water coming from the old summersales workings. There are two possible locations for Mill Pit.

I've some pictures on my flickr account of various places in particular shaft. I have many more I mean to upload but never have time

Pictures

Just been taking a look at your flickr pic,detritus, somebody has repaired the Furnace Chimney at Patchcroft pit.
At one time you could walk inside and look up through the top of the stack.
I have a pic of it somewhere.

They have bricked the door up and repaired one of the corners. Must be about 3 months ago I went

detritus21, any chance you could post fuller details of how to find the Red Rock capped shaft and the Douglas Bank one in the new estate? Many thanks.

Having it repaired tells me that it will be staying put.
Probably a listed structure.

These are from 2008.

Anything left of Meadow Pit near Patchcroft?

Not much, flaggy.
The shaft is capped but there is an inspection cover which lets you can look down it.
Me and one of the lads off Wigan History found it and I think I videoed it as well.
If you drive past, an old BRS van, couloured green, is parked next to the shaft.

Have any of the local collieries been preserved with all of their amazing machinery still in place, or were the authorities far too keen on wiping that history off the map?

The shaft at red rock can be found by going along the canal towards Adlington but you need to be on the right hand side of the canal when heading that direction. The easiest way is to go down the old railway line and come up onto the canal jsut after the aquaduct. The two Douglas bank shafts are a best bet. I am 95% certain the dip in the grass is the shaft done by overlaying a map.

David your best bet is Astly Green Colliery Museum.

Thanks for that detritus

I know I'm 8 year late to this thread, ha ! I tried finding shaft number 1 but I had no luck. Followed Winder's location map but it's really overgrown, now. Maybe it's forever lost to the mastery of nature ? Or maybe I just wasn't looking in the right place! Hah