Gibfield Colliery
Encyclopedia
Gibfield Colliery was a coal mine which was part of the Fletcher, Burrows and Company
's collieries in Atherton, Greater Manchester
, then in the historic county of Lancashire
, England.
A shaft was sunk to the Trencherbone mine in 1829 by John Fletcher
next to the Bolton and Leigh Railway
line which opened in 1830. The colliery was served by sidings near Bag Lane Station. In 1872 the colliery was expanded when a second shaft was sunk to access the Arley mine at 1233 feet. A third shaft was sunk after 1904 accessing nine workable coal seams between the Arley mine and the Victoria or Hell Hole mine while the original Gibfield shaft was used for ventilation.
In common with many collieries on the Lancashire Coalfield
, women, known as Pit brow lasses were employed on the surface to sort coal on the screens at the pit head. The first pit-head baths in the country were built at Gibfield in 1913. Gibfield closed in 1963 and the site was cleared.
Fletcher, Burrows and Company
Fletcher, Burrows and Company was a coal mining company that owned collieries in Atherton, Greater Manchester, England. Gibfield, Howe Bridge and Chanters collieries exploited the coal mines of the middle coal measures in the Manchester Coalfield...
's collieries in Atherton, Greater Manchester
Atherton, Greater Manchester
Atherton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England, historically a part of Lancashire. It is east of Wigan, north-northeast of Leigh, and northwest of Manchester...
, then in the historic county of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England.
A shaft was sunk to the Trencherbone mine in 1829 by John Fletcher
next to the Bolton and Leigh Railway
Bolton and Leigh Railway
The Bolton and Leigh Railway was the first public railway in the historic county of Lancashire, England. It opened in 1828 for goods.-History:...
line which opened in 1830. The colliery was served by sidings near Bag Lane Station. In 1872 the colliery was expanded when a second shaft was sunk to access the Arley mine at 1233 feet. A third shaft was sunk after 1904 accessing nine workable coal seams between the Arley mine and the Victoria or Hell Hole mine while the original Gibfield shaft was used for ventilation.
In common with many collieries on the Lancashire Coalfield
Lancashire Coalfield
The Lancashire Coalfield in north-west England was one of the most important British coalfields.-Geography and geology:The geology of the coalfield consists of the coal seams of the Upper, Middle and Lower Coal Measures, layers of sandstones, shales and coal of varying thickness, which were laid...
, women, known as Pit brow lasses were employed on the surface to sort coal on the screens at the pit head. The first pit-head baths in the country were built at Gibfield in 1913. Gibfield closed in 1963 and the site was cleared.