The Lancashire Mining Museum at Astley, Wigan, had been awarded a grant of nearly £200,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The funding will be used to safeguard the ‘unique’ winding house of the former Astley Green Colliery in Wigan. The site’s 98ft high headgear is a prominent feature of the surrounding landscape.
The museum has also secured additional contributions from the Association for Industrial Archaeology, the Arts Council, Awards for All, the Pilgrim Trust, and Wigan Council, bringing the grant total to over £360,000. Sunk in 1908 to exploit coal reserves in the south Lancashire Coalfield, the colliery had a lifespan of only 62 years, finally closing in 1970. Because of its short and relatively recent history, a considerable number of written and photographic records have survived. The site includes a 98ft winding headgear, winding engine, colliery cottages, and a miner’s canteen.
Further details about the museum here: https://lancashireminingmuseum.lexington-staging-site.co.uk/visit-us
Industrial Heritage Networks 