Wigan Album

Eddie, whats the history of the pit.from year opened to closure, how many worked there, what depth and length of seams if you know.l passed the pit many many years on m6 going to work? At heinz thanks.

Sorry John, I don't have a clue to be honest. Although I took the photographs, I never had any connection with the place. I'm sure there are are many visitors to this site who could answer your queries however.

Windy Arbour Colliery, formerly, Winstanley no 4 Pit, sunk by Meyrick Bankes in 1837. Windy Arbour Colliery Co Ltd worked it from early 1920's Closed 1977, but operated on a small scale until 1979. Was one of the largest licensed mines in the country. Site opencast in 1950-52, 1983. and 1999. (source: Alan Davies 'The Wigan Coalfield'.)

Squire Bankes owned all the land round here and he built a Sunday School for the children. I think it was in Little Lane. The Bankes family live in Cheshire and when the fishing club at Island Dam wanted to make a tarmac road down to the lake they had to get the permission of the Bankes family.