{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use British English|date=February 2023}} '''Bridgewater Collieries''' originated from the coal mines on the [[Manchester Coalfield]] in [[Worsley]] in the historic county of [[Lancashire]] owned by [[Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater]] in the second half of the 18th century. After the Duke's death in 1803 his estate was managed by the Bridgewater Trustees until the 3rd Earl of Ellesmere inherited the estates in 1903. Bridgewater Collieries was formed in 1921 by the 4th Earl. The company merged with other prominent mining companies to form [[Manchester Collieries]] in 1929.<ref name=DMM>{{citation |title=Bridgewater Collieries Ltd |url=http://www.dmm.org.uk/company/b1008.htm |publisher=Durham Mining Museum |accessdate=2011-01-03}}</ref>
==History== [[File:Worsley delph 2.jpg|right|thumb|Worsley Delph, the entrance to the Duke of Bridgewater's underground mines]] Small scale [[coal]] mining had been carried on since the [[Middle Ages]] where [[coal seam]]s outcropped in [[Worsley]] and the surrounding area. John Edgerton, the first Duke of Bridgewater, bought the Worsley estate in 1630.<ref>{{Harvnb|Challinor|1972|p=261}}</ref> After inheriting the estate in 1748 the third Duke was keen to exploit the resources under his largely agricultural estate but the coal mines he inherited were small and particularly wet as water percolated through porous [[sandstone]] above the coal. The problem was solved by driving an underground level intersecting the coal seams northwards towards [[Walkden]] from the [[Bridgewater Canal]] into the rock face of an old quarry at the Delph. This level served two purposes, it drained the coal workings and provided a means of transporting coal out of the mines.<ref name=TownleyP387>{{Harvnb|Townley|1995|p=387}}</ref> The [[Worsley Navigable Levels]] developed into an extensive system of underground canals branching from the original level. The mine workings were also accessed by several shafts sunk along the main drainage level providing access for colliers and materials. These included '''Wood Pit''', '''Ingles Pit''' and '''Kempnough Pit''' in Worsley and '''Edge Fold Pits''' and '''Mangnall's Pit''' in Walkden. Workshops were built at Walkden. The underground levels were driven as far as [[Farnworth]], Linnyshaw, and westwards towards '''Chaddock Pit''' in [[Tyldesley]].<ref name=TownleyP340>{{Harvnb|Townley|1995|p=340}}</ref>
===Bridgewater Trustees=== In order to acquire the mineral rights, in 1810 [[Robert Haldane Bradshaw]], Superintendent of the Bridgewater Trustees bought the Chaddock estate in [[Tyldesley]] and the Booths estate in [[Boothstown]] which extended to 50 [[Acre (Cheshire)|Cheshire acres]] (43 ha).<ref name=LunnP105>{{Harvnb|Lunn|1953|p=105}}</ref> He also bought the [[Garrett Hall]] estate in Tyldesley in 1829. The Duke had sunk the '''Queen Anne''' and Chaddock Pits in the 18th century and by about 1820 they were linked to the Bridgewater Canal at Boothstown Basin by an underground level. In 1838 Chaddock Pit was the biggest colliery in Tyldesley and was still working in 1848.<ref name=LunnP111>{{Harvnb|Lunn|1953|p=111}}</ref>
By 1830 over 300 shallow pits had been sunk including some at Wardley near the [[Preston, Lancashire|Preston]] to [[Manchester]] road, most were short-lived. '''Abbot's Fold''' pit worked the Worsley Four Foot mine and was linked by an underground level to '''Ingles''' pit at Worsley and possibly had a tramway to the canal. To the north '''Mather's Field''' pit worked the Bin mine and coal was wound by a steam engine. In the 1830 the '''Burgess Land''' pit was sunk to the [[Bin mine]] north of [[Ellenbrook, Greater Manchester|Ellenbrook]], it employed 35 "men and boys" in 1852<ref>{{Harvnb|Hayes|2004|p=28}}</ref> and was linked to the canal by a tramroad.<ref name=TownleyP339>{{Harvnb|Townley|1995|p=339}}</ref> '''Shude Hill''' pit had a steam winding engine. The '''City''' and '''Gatley''' pits at [[New Manchester]] north of [[Mosley Common]] were sunk in the 1840s and linked to the navigable levels and a horse-drawn tramroad to Mathers Fold.<ref name=TownleyP341>{{Harvnb|Townley|1995|p=341}}</ref> These pits worked the [[Brassey mine]] at 262 feet and the Rams mine at 360 feet and employed 64 workers in 1852. An explosion of [[firedamp]] in 1838 and a roof fall in 1843 caused two deaths. The Bridgewater Trustees began sinking deep shafts closer to the Ellenbrook in 1862 and the pits became known as [[Mosley Common Colliery]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Lunn|1953|p=117}}</ref> The area has been [[Opencast mining|opencasted]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Hayes|2004|p=29}}</ref>
During the 1860s deep pits were sunk at [[Sandhole Colliery|Sandhole]] and [[Linnyshaw Colliery|Linnyshaw Collieries]].
==See also== *[[List of Collieries in Astley and Tyldesley]] *[[Glossary of coal mining terminology]]
==References==
===Citations=== {{reflist|30em}}
===Bibliography=== {{refbegin}} *{{citation |last=Challinor |first=Raymond |title=The Lancashire and Cheshire Miners |publisher=Frank Graham |year=1972 |isbn=0-902833-54-5}} *{{citation |last=Hayes |first=Geoffrey |title=Collieries and their Railways in the Manchester Coalfields |publisher=Landmark |year=2004 |isbn=1-84306-135-X}} *{{citation |last=Lunn |first=John |title=A Short History of the Township of Tyldesley |publisher=Tyldesley Urban District Council |year=1953}} *{{citation |last=Sweeney |first=D.J. |title=A Lancashire Triangle Part One |publisher=Triangle Publishing |year=1996 |isbn=0-9529333-0-6}} *{{citation |last=Townley |first=C.H.A. |title=The Industrial railways of Bolton, Bury and the Manchester Coalfield, Part Two, The Manchester Coalfield |publisher=Runpast |year=1995 |isbn=1-870754-32-8}}
{{refend}}
[[Category:Coal mines in Lancashire| ]] [[Category:Underground mines in England]] [[Category:Defunct mining companies of the United Kingdom]]