Sandhole Colliery

Overview

Also known as Bridgewater Colliery, one of the Bridgewater Trustees' Walkden pits, sunk from 1865 and worked until 1962 — the colliery that absorbed the neighbouring, played-out Linnyshaw Colliery's remaining reserves in 1921.

History

The Bridgewater Trustees — administrators of the Manchester Coalfield estate left by Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, on his death in 1803 — began sinking two 12-foot-diameter shafts for Sandhole Colliery, also known as Bridgewater Colliery, at Walkden in 1865. Coal winding at the two pits was worked from a single ornamental engine house built between the shafts, housing twin vertical winding engines built by Nasmyth, Wilson & Company in 1866. In 1921, once the neighbouring Linnyshaw Colliery's own reserves were exhausted, Sandhole took over its remaining coal (see Linnyshaw Colliery's own record). Known as Bridgewater Colliery under the Trustees, it had a high reputation for the quality of its coal throughout its life, and its name came from a tract of quicksand that forced the No.3 engine house onto piled foundations. The colliery soon grew to four shafts: No.3, 14 ft 6 in across, was sunk to 330 yards, and No.4, an upcast ventilation shaft, to the Doe Mine at 432 yards, while the old Hollins Field pit, a relic of the Wardley pits, served as a further upcast. In 1923, under Bridgewater Collieries Ltd, its two pairs of pits employed about 1,740. The coalfield's prime Trencherbone seam was missing in the shafts, washed out and replaced by sandstone, but was found and extensively worked to the east, where water broke in from the old Clifton Moss Colliery workings despite a 120-yard barrier. Manchester Collieries Ltd developed Sandhole considerably after 1929: No.3 was deepened to 565 yards in 1943 and given the last newly built steam winding engine in the coalfield, and a long level haulage tunnel was driven for locomotives, diesel at first and from 1949 electric, taking current from an overhead wire. Electric power came from the Mosley Common power house, and Sandhole's washery also treated Mosley Common's coal until 1950. Geological difficulties raised costs in the early 1960s, and Sandhole itself worked on until 1962.

Geology

Nos. 1 and 2 were sunk to the Cannel Mine, below the Trencherbone horizon, passing the Bin, Crumbouke, Ockley, Brassey, Seven Feet (Rams), Doe and Five Quarters mines. The Trencherbone, the coalfield's prime seam, was absent in the shafts because of a washout, where the coal had been replaced by sandstone; it was found and worked extensively to the east.

Workings

Two 12-foot-diameter shafts, their coal wound by twin vertical winding engines built by Nasmyth, Wilson & Company in 1866, housed in a single ornamental engine house between the two pits.

Closure

Closed in 1962, having absorbed the neighbouring Linnyshaw Colliery's remaining reserves in 1921 once that pit's own coal was exhausted. Geological difficulties had led to high costs in the early 1960s. The colliery was demolished in 1964, though its washery continued until 1968.

What remains

The site has been completely levelled and largely obliterated by motorway construction.

No colliery structures are recorded as surviving.

Related mines

• Brackley Colliery — The third of the three ex-Bridgewater collieries still at work in 1947, alongside Brackley and Mosley Common; Sandhole (Bridgewater) closed in 1962, Brackley in 1964.
• Linnyshaw 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.
• Mosley Common Colliery — Sandhole drew its electricity from Mosley Common's power house, and its washery treated Mosley Common's coal until 1950.
• Newtown Colliery — Newtown was bought in 1925 to control water threatening Sandhole's workings, and the two were later connected and partly ventilated together (NMRS).

Recorded claims

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

• The Bridgewater Trustees began sinking two 12-foot-diameter shafts for Sandhole (Bridgewater) Colliery at Walkden in 1865; coal winding used twin vertical engines built by Nasmyth, Wilson & Company in 1866, housed in a single ornamental engine house between the shafts. ¹
• In 1921, once the neighbouring Linnyshaw Colliery's own reserves were exhausted, Sandhole took over its remaining coal. ²
• Sandhole Colliery closed in 1962. ¹
• Sandhole quickly developed to four shafts; Nos. 1 and 2 reached 563 and 566 yards, No.3 was sunk to 330 yards and deepened to 565 yards in 1943, and No.4 was an upcast to the Doe Mine at 432 yards. ^1,3
• The Trencherbone seam was washed out in the shafts but worked to the east, where water broke in from the old Clifton Moss Colliery workings despite a 120-yard barrier. ³
• Manchester Collieries Ltd deepened No.3, installed the coalfield's last newly built steam winding engine, and drove a locomotive haulage tunnel, electrified with overhead-wire locomotives in 1949. ³
• In 1923 Bridgewater Collieries Ltd's Bridgewater Nos. 1 and 2 employed 897 and Nos. 3 and 4 843, under manager W. T. Barnes. ⁴
• Geological difficulties led to high costs and closure in 1962; the colliery was demolished in 1964, the washer continued to 1968, and the site has been levelled and largely obliterated by motorway construction. ³
• The national mine plans catalogue holds a combined plan of Sandhole Nos. 1–4, Hollins Field and Linnyshaw Nos. 1 and 2. ⁵

Photographs & further reading

Sources

1. (secondary) Sandhole Colliery — Wikipedia — Wikipedia
2. (secondary) Linnyshaw Colliery — Wikipedia — Wikipedia
3. (primary) Sandhole (or Bridgewater) Colliery (1865-1962) — NMRS — Northern Mine Research Society
4. (primary) Bridgewater Collieries Ltd. — Durham Mining Museum
5. (primary) BGS / Mining Remediation Authority mine plans catalogue: Sandhole Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, Hollins Field, Linnyshaw Nos. 1, 2 — British Geological Survey

Record created: 2 September 2026 · Last researched: 16 September 2026