New Lester Colliery

Overview

A James Roscoe colliery on Mort Lane, Tyldesley, that had to move its coal by horse and cart for nearly a decade before a dedicated railway line finally reached it — its winding engine houses stood derelict for over twenty years after closure before finally being demolished in 1960.

History

New Lester Colliery's two shafts were sunk around 1865 on the east side of Mort Lane, Tyldesley, on the road to Little Hulton, by James Roscoe — who had already sunk the nearby Peel Hall and New Watergate pits. The colliery initially had no rail connection at all, and coal had to be moved out by horse and cart until the London and North Western Railway built the Little Hulton mineral branch line in 1874. A further connection followed in 1888, linking the Little Hulton line to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway's Manchester-to-Southport line at Peel Hall sidings via a private line built specifically to New Lester. The business was reorganised as James Roscoe and Sons in 1892 and continued to operate New Lester until 1938, when Peel Collieries took over. Even after the colliery itself was run down, the two winding engine houses and the chimney at the linked Peel Hall plant stood derelict for many years, not demolished until April 1960.

Workings

Two shafts sunk around 1865 on the east side of Mort Lane; coal was moved by horse and cart until a dedicated mineral railway branch reached the colliery in 1874.

Closure

Operated by James Roscoe and Sons (formed 1892) until 1938, when Peel Collieries took over; the linked Peel Hall plant's winding engine houses and chimney survived derelict until their demolition in April 1960.

Recorded claims

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

• James Roscoe sank New Lester Colliery's two shafts around 1865 on Mort Lane, Tyldesley, alongside his existing Peel Hall and New Watergate pits. ¹
• The colliery had no rail connection at first, moving coal by horse and cart until the London and North Western Railway's Little Hulton mineral branch reached it in 1874, with a further private connection to the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway added in 1888. ¹
• James Roscoe and Sons (formed 1892) ran the colliery until Peel Collieries took over in 1938; the linked Peel Hall plant's winding engine houses and chimney survived derelict until demolished in April 1960. ²

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) New Lester Colliery — Wikipedia — Wikipedia
2. (secondary) New Lester Colliery — Engole — Engole

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