Outwood Colliery

Overview

Once the largest colliery in its district, originally named Clough Side, whose working life ended abruptly in 1931 when an underground fire brought a whole headgear crashing down its own shaft.

History

Outwood Colliery, originally named Clough Side Colliery, opened in the 1840s near Stoneclough and became the largest colliery in the area, at its peak employing over 2,000 workers to exploit the Manchester Coalfield's seams, most notably its Trencherbone coal. It was owned first by Thomas Fletcher & Sons and later by the Clifton and Kersley Coal Company. Coal was carried out by tramway to a depot on Outwood Road in Radcliffe, and separately through Ringley Wood to the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal. Along with the neighbouring Ladyshore Colliery, Outwood was investigated by an 1842 Royal Commission that documented severe child-labour conditions underground, evidence that helped bring about the Mines and Collieries Act 1842. In 1930, a large underground fire caused one of the colliery's shafts to collapse, bringing the headgear down into the shaft itself and destroying the winding engine house when the winding rope gave way; the colliery closed the following year, 1931, as a result. The site continued afterward purely as a coal-washing point for coal brought in from other collieries, finally ceasing all operations in 1956.

Workings

Worked the Manchester Coalfield's seams, most notably the Trencherbone; coal was carried by tramway both to a depot in Radcliffe and, through Ringley Wood, to the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal.

Closure

A large underground fire in 1930 caused a shaft to collapse, bringing the headgear down into it and destroying the winding engine house; the colliery closed the following year, though it continued as a coal-washing point for other collieries until 1956.

What remains

The former colliery site is now Outwood Country Park, around 60 hectares of new and ancient woodland, part of the Irwell Sculpture Trail and home to large stone sculptures by Ulrich Rückriem.

Related mines

• Ladyshore Colliery — Outwood and Ladyshore were investigated together as sister mines by the 1842 Royal Commission on child labour, which documented equally severe conditions at both — a genuine, evidence-based historical connection rather than mere proximity.

Recorded claims

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

• Outwood, originally Clough Side Colliery, became the largest colliery in its area, employing over 2,000 workers at its peak and working the Manchester Coalfield's Trencherbone seam. ¹
• Along with sister mine Ladyshore, Outwood was investigated by an 1842 Royal Commission that documented severe child-labour conditions underground, feeding into the Mines and Collieries Act 1842. ¹
• A large underground fire in 1930 caused a shaft to collapse, bringing the headgear down into it and destroying the winding engine house when the rope gave way; the colliery closed in 1931 as a result, though it continued as a coal-washing point for other collieries until 1956. ¹
• The former colliery site is now Outwood Country Park, around 60 hectares of woodland on the Irwell Sculpture Trail. ²

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) Outwood Colliery — Wikipedia — Wikipedia
2. (secondary) History — Outwood Country Park — Outwood Country Park

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