Wigan Album

David, thanks for these great photo's and thank Mick also. I remember Mick also his mam running the shop on Holly Road. I have had a chat with a old friend about exactly where the shaft was for the No 5 pit as this photo appears to place it quite close to the ONE house but in truth it was closer to Scot Lane. Between 1969 - 1975 I lived at No 20 Scot lane, an old end terraced house long ago demolished, today a bungalow stands on the exact same spot. Directly opposite just over the road was the shaft for this mine just a few yards in from the road. As a lad in the 1950s the shaft was very visible and a few feet deep, having been back filled when the mine closed. I remember being able to see the brickwork of the shaft as it was slowly sinking again. I understand that some time ago it was capped, as were many of the shafts around the area. Crawford pits, Moss pit ( you will remember that name ) had to be made safe as there was a risk of collapse. Old maps of Aspull show how all these mines were linked by mineral lines, one even crossed the road near to the Moorgate Inn, another crossed under Haigh Road just where the new Co-op shop now stands and travelled along what are now the back gardens for Crawford Avenue (odd numbers side), as children we would play under the bridge on Haigh Road. Oh you've tripped off the old memory matter, thanks again David and Mick, more pics if you have them please !.

Hi, Walt Mick said he as some more photos ,so watch this space ,Mick ask me to take a up to date photo from the same location for him ,so he as 100yrs in between shots.
You can see the one house painted cream now ,but theres sign posts ,trees, all sorts of obstacles in the way.I cant put it on here because its a new photo, but I will put them on a post on general.cheers.

How lucky for the people who live there now to have photos spanning a hundred years!

Hang onto this picture David it's a classic. Thank you for putting it on WW