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Photos of Wigan
Photos of Wigan



Wigan Album

Albert Opencast Coal Site

5 Comments

Albert Opencast 1977: Panoramic View 1
Albert Opencast 1977: Panoramic View 1
Photo: Mike Barton
Views: 3,538
Item #: 20056
The first of a panoramic sweep across the site, showing: the main access road down into the site.
The yellow rope shovel is excavating glacial drift/boulder clay which overlies the coal measures which can be seen dipping,bottom right.

Comment by: dave c on 28th February 2012 at 09:52

Where exactly was Albert Opencast ?

Comment by: Mike Barton on 28th February 2012 at 15:03

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.

Comment by: davey on 28th February 2012 at 20:54

I think this is the site my mates dad used to work in. He used to operate one of the big shovels.

Comment by: Mary Unsworth on 30th September 2014 at 22:19

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.

Comment by: roy bamber on 1st June 2015 at 19:37

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

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