Wigan Album
Albert Opencast Coal Site
5 CommentsPhoto: Mike Barton
Item #: 20056
The yellow rope shovel is excavating glacial drift/boulder clay which overlies the coal measures which can be seen dipping,bottom right.
Where exactly was Albert Opencast ?
The site was to the south of Bickershaw Lane / Smiths Lane between Bickershaw Village and Tamer Lane End. The site was authorised by the Department of Energy in 1974 and produced approx 700,000 tonnes of coal, it was completed and restored by the mid eighties. The opencast site was named after and included the site of the old Albert Colliery, which was near to where the Opencast Disposal Point (Picture 12)was situated. I am not 100% but I think the old Albert Colliery was a drift mine.
I think this is the site my mates dad used to work in. He used to operate one of the big shovels.
My father worked as a miner down the Albert pit. It was not a drift mine. It had a pit shaft and winding gear and there was a small lodge beside it. The drift was a later addition. I am not sure but I think my dad still worked at the Albert after the drift was added. I hope this is helpful.
top left in photo where the dump truck is. that's the enterance to the drift mine I worked on the coal site from start to finish the coal seams where full of old workings