MineArchiveLangtree Colliery
| Location | Standish, near Wigan, Greater Manchester — 53.5936, -2.6603 (approximate) |
|---|---|
| Commodity | Coal |
| Type | Coal |
| Worked | 1857–March 1932 |
| Maximum depth | 530 yards |
| Operators | Thomas Stone (1857–1865), Wigan Coal & Iron Co. (1865–1930), Wigan Coal Corporation Ltd (1930–1932) |
Overview
A Standish colliery sunk in 1857 to 106 yards and taken over by the Wigan Coal & Iron Company in 1865, which deepened it to 530 yards through faulted ground. It employed 540 in 1923 and was abandoned in 1932.
History
Langtree Colliery lay three-quarters of a mile west of the main line and north of Standish Junction. Thomas Stone sank it in 1857 to 106 yards, winding two baskets with a semi-portable engine under a wooden headgear and pumping with a beam engine. In late 1865 it passed briefly to Alfred Hewlett and then to the Wigan Coal & Iron Company.
Wigan Coal & Iron enlarged the shaft to 14 feet and sank it to 530 yards through faulted ground, passing the Ince Four Feet at 85 yards, the Smith at 307 and the Arley at 372. Tunnels were driven out to the Ince Seven Feet, the Cannel and King, the Haigh Yard and another area of the Arley. A twin-cylinder winder rebuilt at the Haigh Foundry wound three-deck cages, and five Lancashire boilers fed a 100-foot octagonal chimney. The pit was ventilated with Broomfield Colliery. It employed 354 in 1894 and 540 in 1923, working the Arley. The Wigan Coal Corporation held it from 1930, and it was abandoned in March 1932.
Geology
Lancashire Coal Measures, faulted: Ince Four Feet at 85 yards, Smith at 307, Arley at 372, with the Ince Seven Feet, Cannel, King and Haigh Yard reached by tunnels.
Workings
One 14-foot shaft to 530 yards with cross-measure tunnels at 102, 203, 236 and 530 yards; three-deck cages loaded from the sides; ventilation linked to Broomfield Colliery.
Closure
Abandoned in March 1932 under the Wigan Coal Corporation. The reason is unknown.
What remains
Unknown.
Redevelopment
Unknown.
Related mines
- Broomfield Colliery — Linked underground; Broomfield was Langtree's upcast.
Nearby mines
- Broomfield Colliery — 0.2 miles (0.3 km) W
- Chisnall Hall Colliery — 1.2 miles (2.0 km) NW, Lancashire
- Blainscough Colliery — 1.5 miles (2.4 km) N, Lancashire
- Taylor Colliery — 1.7 miles (2.8 km) S
- John Pit — 1.9 miles (3.1 km) S
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.
- Sunk in 1857 by Thomas Stone to 106 yards. 1
- Wigan Coal & Iron enlarged the shaft and sank it to 530 yards. 1
- Employed 540 in 1923, working the Arley. 2
- Abandoned in March 1932. 1
- Its plans show workings in the Cannel and Arley, with Broomfield in the Ince Four Feet and Seven Feet. 3
Photographs & further reading
Owners, shaft, tunnels, winding, pumping and closure, from the G. Hayes collection.
View sourceSources
- (secondary) Langtree Colliery — Northern Mine Research Society
- (primary) Langtree Colliery — Durham Mining Museum
- (primary) Mine plan: Langtree, Arley — British Geological Survey
Record created: 2 October 2026 · Last researched: 2 October 2026