Moss Colliery
Photo: dk

I've had a bit of trouble trying to identify this pit head. Firstly its catalogue was missing so I explored Rose Bridge, Bold and Plank Lane being pits my Grandad worked at - in fact, he was still employed at Bickershaw on the surface filling spoil wagons when he died. None of these seemed to make much sense. When I found the catalogue marking a Moss Colliery I went to the Alan Godfrey Hindley 1907 map finding the wrong Moss Pit at the side of Gullicks new road on Amberswood Common - this closed in 1930's - There was a Moss Hall here and, interestingly the Hospital of Infectious Diseases isolated on the Moss. However, finally, and thanks to Winder's comments on No1 engine picture in Mining section giving directions to Moss Colliery from Cemetery Lane, I found a Moss Colliery on the Godfrey Ince Moss 1907 map and the following: quote "The Ince Moss or Moss Colliery was developed by Pearson and Knowles who sank the first pit in 1863 and five others over the next three decades. The colliery, which employed over 2000 underground workers in 1896, survived until 1962; more fully described on sheet 93.12" source: Alan Godfrey Maps - these are fantastic maps and with beautiful commentary and £2 odd apiece. I hope the above is correct. circa 1953