Ellerbeck Colliery

Overview

A Wigan Coalfield colliery on the Coppull-Adlington border, sunk in 1876, closed once already in 1928 before being reopened, nationalised and modernised, and finally closing for good in 1965.

History

Ellerbeck Colliery was sunk on the border of Coppull and Adlington, in the Borough of Chorley, by the Hilton House and Red Moss Coal Company in 1876. By 1896 it employed 460 men underground and 148 on the surface, and by 1923, with two pits (Nos. 1 and 2) in operation, employment had grown to 892 underground and 156 on the surface. The colliery closed in 1928, but was reopened under the Blackrod Colliery Company, working the Bone, Wigan Six Feet and New coal seams on a much reduced scale — just 50 men underground and 22 on the surface a decade after reopening. Nationalised into the National Coal Board in 1947, Ellerbeck was redeveloped and its workforce grew again, reaching its highest-ever total of 411 men in 1958, the same year it achieved its largest annual saleable output, 174,172 tons. A general decline in demand for coal followed, and Ellerbeck Colliery closed for good in August 1965.

Workings

Two pits, Nos. 1 and 2, working the Bone, Wigan Six Feet and New coal seams.

Closure

Closed once already in 1928 before being reopened under new ownership; closed for good in August 1965 amid a general decline in coal demand, despite having reached its highest-ever workforce and output only seven years earlier.

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• The Hilton House and Red Moss Coal Company sank Ellerbeck Colliery in 1876; by 1896 it employed 460 men underground and 148 on the surface, growing to 892 underground and 156 on the surface by 1923 across two pits. ¹
• The colliery closed in 1928 but was reopened under the Blackrod Colliery Company, working the Bone, Wigan Six Feet and New seams on a much reduced scale of around 50 underground and 22 surface workers. ¹
• Redeveloped after 1947 nationalisation, the colliery reached its highest-ever workforce of 411 men and largest annual output of 174,172 tons in 1958, before closing for good in August 1965 amid a general decline in coal demand. ¹
• Ellerbeck Colliery stood on the border of Coppull and Adlington, in the Wigan Coalfield. ²

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) Ellerbeck Colliery — Wikipedia — Wikipedia
2. (primary) Ellerbeck Colliery — Northern Mine Research Society — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 2 September 2026 · Last researched: 2 September 2026