Wigan Album

Peter.Unless the brick encasement enclosed the headgears,it was probably a drift mine,as was Summerscales. Could it possibly be the, Pony Dick Mine? Was it definitely a coal mine, or could it have been a brick works?

could it be the old brick works on marsh green??

the brick tower and the low building to the left remind me of marsh green brick works, porters wood in the background?

Relative to Marsh Green Brick Works. When I worked Marsh Green beat, on night duty, I would call in at this brick works, and have a chat to the night duty operative. It was a very large room, with the kilns underneath, it was absolutely mad hot, lovely on a cold winter's night. There was a farm close by. It was always covered in mud, with oceans of cow's(Rhymes with grit)to manoeuvre through.

The chimney looks like a furnace chimney. These were used in the old mines before the advent of the fans. The updraught from the fire would pull the air through the mine workings There used to be one in the fields near Fingerpost at Aspull.

Fred, that chimney at Aspull is still there (Wall Hey Pit), and the other one at Haigh (Patchcroft Pit). Yes, the chinmey in Peter's photograph looks like a furnace chimney too, but I can see what looks like the top of a row of boilers in front of it, so I'm a bit baffled.

Looks like the chimney that was on the land where they built the council estate near to Grasmere Ave, Higher Ince
Behind the Oak Tree Inn.

no way is that summersales or pony dick i will try to find out and get back to you

Thank You alan wink, it's proving to be a puzzler.

found a pic under album (places) marsh green brick works, the tower and the low roof to the left looks about right too me, apologies if i am wrong.

I've been looking at some pics of John Pit in 'The Standish Collieries' book by Donald Anderson etc., and the ventilation chimney can be clearly seen, but it looks slightly higher and has a projecting brick band around it, close to the top. Now, we know that the furnace chimney was out of use for years since the electric fan was installed at Taylor Pit, so it's possible that it may have been reduced in height. The detail you can see at the top in Peter's photograph is present in the old photographs. Art, what do you reckon?

its not sommerscales cos that was on the hill att highfield and tree lined from banks's estate on the other side.