Wigan and Leigh are well known as being coal-mining towns, and remained so into the modern era. It's perhaps less well known that the area to the west of Horwich, also part of the Wigan Coalfield, was once riddled with small pits, many of which were served by private mineral railways. Pits in Blackrod, Adlington, Arley, Haigh, Aspull and Westhoughton were all served by railways which connected with the local main lines and to the canals.

Sadly, the ad-hoc nature of these lines means that there was very little recorded about them; certainly, I have yet to see a photograph of one of these lines. We can however trace their routes on aerial photographs and plot them with the help of first edition OS maps. In some cases, there is no visible trace left, where lines once trailed across open fields. In others, the trackbeds are still visible, or now form field boundaries or footpaths. In some areas - particularly Westhoughton - the density of these railways is quite startling.

There were almost certainly a number rudimentry railways (or tubways) associated with the many small pits between Blackrod and Aspull, but by 1889, there were just three which were either wholely or partly within the confines of the town. These were lightly-laid standard gauge lines, which connected to the main railway network at Grimeford and Arley. In fact part of this network was eventually taken-on by the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway and can therefore be considered to have been part of the national network.

Blackrod

At Grimeford, to the North of Blackrod near the boundary with Adlington, there was a south-facing junction on the Preston & Bolton line near the boundary with Adlington. From there, the line turned westwards, then split into two. One fork crossed the Chorley road, heading out across the fields to Arley pits and to the canal near Standish. The Blackrod branch of this line skirted the bottom of the hill at the bottom of Blackrod Brow, following much of the path that would eventually be used by the A6 Blackrod Bypass. The line ended behind Castlecroft, between the bypass and the foot of the hill, serving two pits that were part of Anderton Hall Collieries.

A former stationmaster at Blackrod relates a tale which was told to him, that there was once a tunnel emerging from the hill to the north west of the station, which brought coal to the railway. Although this is likely a case of Chinese Whispers, it is lent some credence by the presence of a pit just yards up the hill

Whilst the above may be of interest to anyone who lived in Blackrod, the area around Hilton House station is perhaps a little more surprising. Today, the Red Moss pit is still easily identifiable as such, but doesn't seem to have been rail-served - at least, by the time of the 1889 OS map. Other pits in the area are still identifiable on aerial photographs and in many cases had links to the rail system.

The L&YR plans for the Hilton House line, opened in 1868, show a mass of mineral lines already in existence. These lines were connected to the Preston-Bolton line by means of a junction a little way further south than the one which was built by the L&YR. The new line crossed the A6 at the same point as the existing mineral line, but it seems likely that the bridge was added at that point. Perhaps a more rudimentary structure was in place before that, or more likely the line followed the gradient rather than lying in a cutting. 

Hilton House

Whilst the above may be of interest to anyone who lived in Blackrod, the area around Hilton House station is perhaps a little more startling. The site now occupied by Blackrod Industrial Estate once had a fan of around twenty sidings, which served Scot Lane Colliery. Unlike many of the mines in Blackrod, Scot Lane Colliery was of a considerable size, emplying at its peak some 700 miners before falling victim to the Great Depression and final closure in 1936. Most of the sidings terminated just south of Scot Lane, with one crossing over to a spoil tip behind a square body of water which is now used for fishing. Scot Lane was just one of the pits which were served by a line which connected to the Bolton - Preston line south of Blackrod Station (see below).

There is a photograph of Scot Lane Colliery here.

 

Aerial photgraphy such as that provided on Google Maps, clearly show many of the areas which were once given over to mining. These slag heaps and areas of uneven ground have resisted the encroachment of the surrounding agricultural land and their tree-covered remnants are still clearly identifiable.Today, the Red Moss pit is still easily identifiable as such, but doesn't seem to have been rail-served - at least, by the time of the 1889 OS map. Other pits in the area which were linked to the rail system include Brinsop Hall.

The L&YR plans for the Hilton House line, opened in 1868, show this mass of mineral lines already in existence. The network was connected to the Preston-Bolton line by means of a junction a little way further south than the one which was built by the L&YR. The new line crossed the A6 at the same point as the existing mineral line, but it seems likely that the bridge was added at that point. Perhaps a more rudimentary structure was in place before that, or more likely the line followed the gradient and crossed the road on-the-level. To the east of the A6, the lines split into a complex arrangement feeding 4 pits.

From Aspull

The third colliery line which entered the borders of Blackrod, is again shown on the 1889 OS map, and was a spur from the network of lines around Aspull & Haigh. This line approached Blackrod from the West, to serve a pit which was already shown as disused by 1889.

Given that the first edition OS map included lines and collieries which had already closed by 1889, it seems likely that other pits which were marked as disused by that date, may have been rail-served.