Wigan Album

Wigan Observer report on the original memorial. Wigan Coal & Iron Company installed 19 similar plaques at their pits and works. This was the only one not fixed to an existing building - the cairn was constructed by the miners from pit waste brought up from the mine. An attempt was made to replicate the original memorial, and a duplicate plaque was cast to be placed on the rebuilt cairn - but a temporary plaque placed on the cairn in the meantime was immediately vandalised - so the copy plaque was placed in front of St Anne's Church in Shevington. The original plaque had been removed and placed in the care of Standish UDC when the pit closed - and were installed in the Peace Gate when the former UDC offices were sold off and subsequently demolished.
Only one plaque is still where it was installed - at Hewlett Pits in Westhoughton. two - for Meadow Pit at Haigh and Alexandra and Lindsay Pits at Whelley, have, sadly, disappeared.