Astley Green Colliery Museum facts for kids
Astley Green Colliery Museum
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| Location | Astley in Greater Manchester, England |
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| Type | Heritage centre |
The Astley Green Colliery Museum is a special place in Astley, near Tyldesley, in Greater Manchester, England. It is run by the Red Rose Steam Society. This museum used to be a working coal mine, called a colliery, from 1912 until 1970. Now, it is a protected historical site. The museum covers about 15 acres of land next to the Bridgewater Canal. It is important because it has the only remaining pit headgear and engine house from the old Lancashire Coalfield.
Contents
The Story of Astley Green Colliery
Digging for Coal
Astley Green Colliery was built to dig up coal from deep underground. This coal came from the Manchester Coalfield, which was under a peat bog called Chat Moss. People needed a lot of coal in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Other coal supplies in the Irwell Valley were running out.
Building the Mine
Work on digging the mine shafts began in 1908. This was done by the Pilkington Colliery Company. The mine started producing coal in 1912. In 1928, Astley Green Colliery joined with other local mines. They formed a bigger company called Manchester Collieries.
Modern Times and Closure
The mine was updated in 1947 when the coal industry became owned by the government. Astley Green Colliery stopped working in 1970. After it closed, it was opened to the public as a museum.
What You Can See at the Museum
The Headgear and Engine House
Astley Green Colliery has the only remaining headgear and engine house from the old Lancashire coalfield. The headgear is a tall structure made of strong metal bars. It has two large wheels and one smaller wheel at the very top. It stands almost 30 meters (about 98 feet) high. It was built by a company called Head Wrightson and finished by 1912.
Inside the winding house, you can see a huge steam engine. This engine was made by Yates and Thom in Blackburn. It is the largest steam winding engine ever used on the coalfield. This powerful engine had 3,300 horsepower! It helped to pull coal and miners up and down the mine shafts.
Collection of Locomotives
The museum also has a large collection of 28 colliery locomotives. These are special trains that were used in coal mines. It is the biggest collection of its kind in the United Kingdom.
The Museum Railway
Volunteers at the museum have worked hard to restore a section of railway track. As of 2025, about 200 meters (about 656 feet) of track has been rebuilt. One of the locomotives is currently working. Another one is being repaired so that it can carry passengers on the railway soon.
See also
- List of Collieries in Astley and Tyldesley
- Scheduled Monuments in Greater Manchester
- Listed buildings in Astley, Greater Manchester
