Linnyshaw Colliery

Overview

Known locally as Berryfield, the first of the Bridgewater Trustees' Walkden pits to be sunk specifically to reach the coalfield's deeper seams — its working life ended in a fatal 1861 explosion in the Rams mine, though the colliery itself continued for another sixty years before its remaining reserves passed to the neighbouring Sandhole Colliery.

History

Linnyshaw Colliery, commonly known locally as Berryfield after the farmer's field it stood in, was begun in 1850 by the Bridgewater Trustees. It was the first of the Bridgewater Collieries' Walkden pits to have shafts sunk exclusively to reach the coalfield's deeper seams, going down 300 yards to work the Binn, Crombouke, Brassey and Seven Foot mines. On 27 February 1861, an explosion in the Rams mine killed nine colliers (see Disasters, below). The colliery's original furnace ventilation was superseded in 1890 by a 15-foot-diameter mechanical fan built by Walker Bros. of the Pagefield Ironworks, Wigan. Linnyshaw worked on for another six decades after the disaster before its own reserves were finally exhausted in 1921, when the neighbouring Sandhole Colliery took over what remained. Pumping to keep the old workings dry continued until 1936, when the site was finally cleared.

Geology

Coal of the Manchester field at Walkden — the first of the Bridgewater pits sunk specifically to reach the coalfield's deeper seams.

Workings

Shafts sunk to 300 yards, the first of the Bridgewater Collieries' Walkden pits reaching the coalfield's deeper seams — the Binn, Crombouke, Brassey and Seven Foot mines; furnace ventilation was replaced in 1890 by a 15-foot mechanical fan.

Closure

The colliery's own reserves were exhausted by 1921, when the neighbouring Sandhole Colliery took over the remainder; pumping to keep the old workings dry continued until 1936, when the site was finally cleared.

What remains

The site was cleared in 1936, when the pumping that had kept the old workings dry finally stopped.

Related mines

• Ashton's Field Colliery — Both were deep pits sunk by the Bridgewater Trustees on the Worsley estate during the 1860s, alongside Ellesmere.
• Sandhole Colliery — Sandhole Colliery specifically took over Linnyshaw's remaining coal reserves once Linnyshaw's own were exhausted in 1921 — a real operational succession between two named, adjacent Bridgewater Trustees pits, not mere proximity.

Disasters & major incidents

• Linnyshaw Colliery Explosion, 1861
  27 February 1861 · Explosion · 9 fatalities
  An explosion in the Rams mine at Linnyshaw Colliery, Worsley, killed nine colliers; the coroner could find no evidence of how the gas had been ignited.

Recorded claims

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

• Linnyshaw Colliery, locally known as Berryfield, was begun in 1850 by the Bridgewater Trustees — the first of their Walkden pits sunk exclusively to reach the coalfield's deeper seams, going down 300 yards to work the Binn, Crombouke, Brassey and Seven Foot mines. ¹
• The colliery's original furnace ventilation was superseded in 1890 by a 15-foot-diameter mechanical fan built by Walker Bros. of the Pagefield Ironworks, Wigan. ¹
• Linnyshaw's own reserves were exhausted by 1921, when the neighbouring Sandhole Colliery took over the remainder; pumping continued until 1936, when the site was finally cleared. ²
• Located at about 53.525 N, 2.376 W. ¹

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) Linnyshaw Colliery — Wikipedia — Wikipedia
2. (primary) Linnyshaw Colliery (1850-1921) — NMRS — Northern Mine Research Society

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