MineArchiveEatock Colliery
| Location | Daisy Hill, Westhoughton, Greater Manchester — 53.5369, -2.5292 (approximate) |
|---|---|
| Commodity | Coal |
| Type | Coal |
| Worked | 1882 (sinking)–1934 |
| Maximum depth | 391 yards (to the Arley mine) |
| Operators | Wigan Coal & Iron Co. (1882–1930), Wigan Coal Corporation Ltd (1930–1936) |
Overview
A Wigan Coal & Iron colliery near Daisy Hill, Westhoughton, sunk from 1882 to the Arley at 391 yards, first winding coal in 1890. It employed over 600 in 1894, closed in 1934 and was abandoned in 1936.
History
Eatock Colliery lay about 300 yards south of the Pendleton-Hindley railway and 600 yards west of Daisy Hill station, at Westhoughton. The Wigan Coal & Iron Company began sinking its two shafts in 1882, to the Arley at 391 yards. The first coal was wound in 1890. Each shaft had a twin-cylinder horizontal winding engine under a timber headgear. A 40-foot Guibal fan ventilated the mine and an underground steam pump handled about 17,000 gallons a day. A mineral branch from Daisy Hill served the pit.
In 1894 Nos. 1 and 2 employed 614, working the Arley and Yard for coking, gas and household coal. Employment was 521 in 1923 and 372 in 1933, the Wigan Coal Corporation having taken over in 1930. The colliery closed in 1934 and was abandoned in 1936, and both shafts were filled up to the level of the King mine at 185 yards.
Geology
Lancashire Coal Measures: the Arley at 391 yards and the Yard (Haigh Yard), with the King at 185 yards.
Workings
Two shafts with twin horizontal winding engines and timber headgears; a 40-foot Guibal fan; an underground steam pump; a mineral branch line from Daisy Hill.
Closure
Closed in 1934 and abandoned in 1936; both shafts were later filled to the King mine horizon at 185 yards.
What remains
The route of the colliery's mineral branch from Daisy Hill is a path.
Redevelopment
The mineral railway towards the colliery is now a footpath.
Nearby mines
- Swan Lane Colliery — 0.9 miles (1.5 km) W
- Hewlett Colliery — 1.1 miles (1.8 km) NW
- Gibfield Colliery — 1.2 miles (1.9 km) SE
- Hindley Green Colliery — 1.5 miles (2.5 km) SW
- Howe Bridge Colliery — 1.6 miles (2.6 km) SE
Straight-line distance, within 9 miles (15 km). Show on the map.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- Sinking began in 1882 and the first coal was wound in 1890. 1
- Both shafts were sunk to the Arley at 391 yards. 1,2
- Nos. 1 and 2 employed 614 in 1894, working the Arley and Yard. 3
- Closed in 1934 and abandoned in 1936. 1
- The mineral branch that served the colliery from Daisy Hill is now a path. 4
Photographs & further reading
Shafts, winding, pumping, ventilation and closure, from the G. Hayes collection.
View sourceSources
- (secondary) Eatock Colliery — Northern Mine Research Society
- (primary) Mine plan: Eatock Nos. 1, 2, Arley — British Geological Survey
- (primary) Eatock Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
- (observational) Path on route of former railway (photograph) — Geograph
Record created: 2 October 2026 · Last researched: 2 October 2026