Aspull facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Aspull |
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 Aspull Clock |
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 Aspull
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| Population | 4,977 |
| OS grid reference | SD611082 |
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| Metropolitan county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WIGAN |
| Postcode district | WN2 |
| Dialling code | 01942 |
| Police | Greater Manchester |
| Fire | Greater Manchester |
| Ambulance | North West |
| EU Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament |
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Aspull is a village in Greater Manchester, England. It's part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan. Long ago, it was in Lancashire. Aspull is surrounded by green fields and farms. A small stream in Borsdane Wood separates it from Westhoughton. The land goes uphill from south to north, reaching about 400 feet (122 meters) high. From here, you can see Winter Hill and the West Pennine Moors. About 4,977 people live in Aspull.
Aspull used to be a busy place for mining and making cloth. Today, you won't see much of that history in the village. Haigh Country Park is a large estate located to the west of Aspull.
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History of Aspull
Aspull has a long and interesting history. People have lived and worked here for many centuries.
Early Days of Aspull
The first records of Aspull are from 1212. At that time, it was one small piece of land. It was part of a larger area owned by Richard, son of Robert de Lathom. He held this land from the lord of Manchester.
Later, in 1302, Aspull was owned by Richard de Ince and Adam de Hindley. They held it directly from Thomas Grelley. For a long time after this, Aspull was owned by the same families who owned nearby Ince. These were the Ince and Gerard families. Eventually, Aspull was sold to the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres. He was also the lord of Haigh.
Hindley Hall is a large house in Aspull. It was once the home of the Hindley family. In the 1700s, the Leigh family of Whitley Hall, Wigan, bought it. Sir Robert Holt Leigh lived there until he died in 1843. His lands then went to his cousin, Thomas Pemberton. Thomas took the name Leigh and made Hindley Hall his home. He became a noble, Baron Kingsdown, in 1858.
In 1666, a tax record showed that 135 homes in Aspull had fireplaces. Some of the biggest houses belonged to Richard Green (nine fireplaces), Peter Orrell and James Dukinfield (eight each), Major Rigby and Thomas Molyneux (seven each), and Edward Gleast (six).
St. Elizabeth's C of E Church was built in 1882 by Roger Leigh. There are also two Methodist chapels in the village. The Roman Catholic church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception was built in 1858.
Aspull's Coal Mining Past
Aspull was famous for its coal. A special type of coal called Cannel coal was found here. Many large coal mines, called collieries, operated in Aspull since the 1700s. There were also places that made malt and a cotton mill. In 1896, the Wigan Coal and Iron Company owned several pits in Aspull. These included the Crawford, Kirkless, Moor, and Woodshaw Pits. Over 1,000 workers were employed in these mines.
Aspull's long history of mining left behind old mine shafts. It also left water tunnels called soughs and abandoned mine workings.
The Great Haigh Sough is in Haigh Country Park. It used to release water full of iron from the mines. This made the Yellow Brook and the River Douglas downstream turn orange. In 2004, the Coal Authority built a special system to clean this water. This project cost £750,000. It included a pumping station, pipes, and special ponds with plants. This system has made the water much cleaner. Now, fish can live in the brook again.
The village still remembers its coal mining past. The "Collier's Arms" pub on Wigan Road is named after the coal miners. It has a sign showing it was built in 1700.
Geography and Travel in Aspull
Aspull is located at a crossroads. One main road goes from Blackrod to Wigan. Another road runs from Standish to the A6 road. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal also goes through the western part of the village. Aspull Moor is in the northern half of the village.
The closest train station is at Hindley. Blackrod is only a little bit further away. Hindley has more frequent trains. Blackrod has faster trains to Manchester. Aspull used to have railways for coal, but it has never had its own central train station for passengers. There was a station called Dicconson Lane & Aspull on the line from Wigan to Chorley. However, it was some distance from Aspull. That station closed in 1956. The whole line closed to passengers in 1960 and for goods in 1966.
Sports in Aspull
Aspull has a strong sports community.
Rugby Union
The town's rugby union club is called Aspull RFC. They have three senior teams. The first team plays in the Counties 1 ADM Lancashire & Cheshire league. The second team plays in Group 1 of the ADM Combination league. The third team plays in NOWIRUL Simply Lifetime Mortgages Division 3 Central of Halbro NW Leagues.
Wrestling
Aspull is also home to the Aspull Olympic Wrestling Club. This club is known around the world as "The Snake Pit." It is one of the last places that teaches a special type of wrestling called authentic catch wrestling. The club hosts the Snake Pit World Championships and other competitions for catch wrestling.
See also
In Spanish: Aspull para niños
