HOMEPAGE PROGRAMME WALKDEN THE PLACE NAME WALKDEN 1296 1850 WALKDEN1850 ONWARD COTTON MILLS MILLPHOTOS 1 MILL PHOTOS 2 COAL MINING ACCIDENTS PUBS TRANSPORT SHOPPING THE CO OP WALKDEN MONUMENT LINKS

Walkden Local History Coal Pits Walkden was literally built on coal and over the centuries scores of shafts have been sunk to exploit its rich coal seams. Many of the early pits have picturesque, but long forgotten names such as Crippen Croft, Turnpike Lime, Windmill, Cinder Field and Tub engine. More familiar are the names of the Walkden Pits of the last century,Edgefold, Magnalls, Linnyshaw, Ellesmere and Bridgewater (Sandhole). Ashton’s Field was just in Little Hulton, and Mosley Common lay within the Tyldesley Boundary. Edgefold stood on Walkden Road, Shaving Lane now occupies the site. An early pit, sunk 1760/70, it ceased coal production in the 1870’s but its connection to the underground canal allowed it to be used as a punping station. It pumped 30 million gallons of water a year into the underground canal. Magnalls, known locally as Rough Field, stood on Wilfred Road where the British Legion now stands. It was developed in the 1830’s, ceased production in 1875, but again its link with the underground canal allowed it to be used as a pumping station until its demolition. Ellesmere colliery was almost in the town centre, standing at the side of High Street, between Magnalls Fold and Tynesbank. Sunk 1860/70 it ceased coal production in 1923 and then was also used as a pumping station, moving 110 million gallons of water a year into the underground canal. The closing of the last pit in the district, Mosley Common, in 1968, meant that both Ellesmere and Edgefold pumping stations were redundant and they were demolished. Linnyshaw Colliery, as the name suggests was located at Linnyshaw, sunk 1850/60 in the fields north of Manchester Road, it closed in the 1920’s. Across Manchester Road, between Old Clough Lane and Wardley Hall lay Bridgewater Colliery. Sunk 1860/70, it was known as Sandhole, which became the official name on nationalisation in 1947. Sandhole closed in 1962. Ashton Field Colliery was actually just over the Little Hulton border, north west of St Mary’s Park. Dating from 1850/60 it also stopped producing coal in the 1920’s but again its link with the underground canal allowed it to be used as a pumping station until 1966. Coal and the Underground Canal The Duke of Bridgewater’s underground canal system, or the Navigable Level as it was known, runs from the Delph at Worsley to Dixon Green, the four levels and all the side branches accounting for a total of approximately 52 miles. Work started at Worsley in 1759, reaching Walkden in 1770. The main level, once past the line of the A580, runs to the west of Walkden Road, under Edgefold, Wilfred Road, Bridgewater Road and High Street, north west to Ashton Field, then across to Cleggs Lane and on towards Farnworth. Boatshed Yard was established in the 1770’s, between Ashton Field Street and High Street. Here boats used on the underground canal were built and repaired. Access to the canal was down a slope, or adit, located near the present Tesco Petrol station. Thus it was theoretically possible to travel from the centre of Walkden to America without touching dry land; by underground canal to Worsley, along the Bridgewater Canal to Runcorn and then by ship to America. The Navigable Level had two main uses, it drained the mines and carried coal to the surface canal at Worsley. The introduction of the colliery railways in the 1870’s meant it ceased to carry coal but it was used for drainage until the closure of Mosley Common Colliery in 1968. The pits have all gone but the Underground Canal remains, the hidden legacy of a once dominant industry. Walkden Yard The yard lay to the south of High Street, close to Ellesmere Colliery. Despite the name a large portion of the yard actually lay in Little Hulton. The Bridgewater Trust had started construction of the yard by 1898 as a central works depot, which provided engineering and allied services for the collieries and colliery railways. Facilities included a machine shop, joiners shop, electricians shop, paint shop, tinsmiths, wagon sheds, wagon machine shop and a house for the yard Superintendent. The yard closed as a British Coal workshop in 1986 and the site is now a housing estate. Photos Top - Edgefold Colliery, 1952 - demolished 1968 Second - Magnalls Colliery Third - Ellesmere Colliery from roof of the New Mill Bottom - Inside the underground Canal under Walkden. Brick arches at he Deborah Pillar Junction. Note boat sailing out from left arch. For more information on Walkden's mines and the underground canal read 'The Canal Duke's Collieries' by Glen Atkinson. Loan copy in Walkden Library or can be bought from Neil Richardson Publications 88 Ringley Road, Stoneclough, Radcliffe M26 1ET Another site of interest is Les Hampson's site about the Mines Rescue Station at Ellenbrook