Coal Mining in Tyldesley

Pits, Pitmen and Pit Brow Lassies in Tyldesley

Tyldesley was a coal mining town. In 1850 there were about 12 mines within a mile or two of the town centre. By 1945 over 8,700 people worked at Tyldesley coalmines with over 6400 working underground. In 1945 1,855 were employed at Astley Green, 1,329 at Chanters Colliery in Hindsford and 2,221 at Gin Pit, Nook and St. Georges Bank. The Mosley Common super pit employed 2369.

Mosley Common Colliery in 1950's

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See Lists of Mines in Tyldesley for details of working Collieries in 1869,1908 and 1945.

Visit the excellent Coal Mining Resource Centre website for more about coalmining and for Tyldesley 1950 Mines map

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Colliery Disasters in Tyldesley

Tyldesley had its mining disasters like every other mining town. The worst were at Yew Tree Colliery in 1858 and at Great Boys Colliery in 1877 in which 7 miners were killed. In 1939 5 men were killed by an explosion at Astley Green. In 1858 at Tyldesley Yew Tree Colliery 25 men and boys were killed by an explosion of fire-damp This is how the Illustrated London News recorded the event

'Dreadful Colliery Explosion at Tyldesley

In our last week's Number we recorded a terrible disaster occasioned by an explosion of firedamp at Tyldesley Colliery, a few miles from Manchester, by which twenty-four lives were lost. We now engrave the scene of the calamity. The awful event took place on Saturday, the 11th inst., about noon. Four or five hours elapsed before the after-damp would allow a descent into the mine. Most of the bodies found first had the appearance of having died from suffocation ; one was much mutilated by the explosion, and , farther on, three or four were literally blown to pieces. Nothing certain is known of the cause of the explosion. In such a mutilated condition were some of the bodies that it was doubtful at first whether twenty-five or twenty-four had been killed. The larger proportion of the dead were married men, most of them having young families. A subscription is being made to provide funds for the widows and families of the deceased. The Rev. George Richards, the Incumbent of Tyldesley, is taking an active part in this benevolent object.'

Today the reminders of this once great industry can still be seen locally:- The Miners Hall on Elliott St, the slag heaps that surround the town. Astley Green Colliery Museum. The Miners Arms at Blackmoor. The Colliers Arms on Sale Lane. Gin Pit Village and the Astley and Tyldesley Miners Welfare. There were mines at Chanters in Hindsford, Yew Tree at Darlington St, St. George's ('Back o' t' Church'), Mosley Common, Cleworth, Great Boys and Shakerley. They were all connected by railway to the railway line that ran through Tyldesley.

It is now many years since coal was mined in the Tyldesley area. Astley Green Colliery was the last to close in 1970.