[Coalboard]

Pics I copied about 20 years ago, just scanned the copy negs while I'm working on the Atherton Collieries book. The originals were smaller than postcard size hence the quality.
The brickworks operated from about 1905 to 1965. It excavated boulder clay from an area where two seams of coal were present, the Crombouke and Brassey.
They used this fairly good quality coal to fire the kilns. Clay was hand excavated and sent to the claymill by endless chain haulage, the chain locating into a metal slot on top of the tubs.
These photos range from about 1925 to the late 1940's and have never been published before.

Geological survey 1929 showing the coal seams following the contours of the quarry



Fossil standing sigillaria tree in the quarry circa 1925



Workmen at the 'clay face'



Workman pushing a tub to the endless chain return wheel a few yards away



A woman loading the kiln with bricks, the other chambers bricked up ready for firing



Owner John Smith and his wife who looks as though she would rather be in Lewis's shopping! Note the endless chain haulage system.
In the distance behind are the wooden water cooling towers hiding Chanters Colliery (closed 1966)



Fired common bricks being stacked and covered, the kilns being unloaded behind

[Morrisey]

Those pictures tell a tale or two. Where in Atherton is Swan Island?

[Coalboard]

Originally Posted by Morrisey

Those pictures tell a tale or two. Where in Atherton is Swan Island?

Off Tyldesley Old Road at the eastern end, there's a council tip and industrial estate there now.
When I was a young lad the brickworks had closed recently the site was being tipped on by Atherton Council. We went into the quarry and there was an old flat tank motorbike with girder forks down there, a Singer I think it was, must still be there now under 100 feet of rubbish and pit waste.

[Manx Centor]

Great stuff Al. The tracks look a little cobbled together at the working face.

[Coalboard]

Originally Posted by Manx Centor

Great stuff Al. The tracks look a little cobbled together at the working face.

I think in some of the pics they're using angle iron for rails, in others near the face they're using bridge rails.

[andym]

Very interesting, looks like back breaking work.

[tarboat]

Wonderful series of images.

I think i passed this a week or two ago, are they opencasting nearby?

And are the original gates still there? (originally red but faded pink now)

[Coalboard]

Originally Posted by Romanian1

I think i passed this a week or two ago, are they opencasting nearby?

And are the original gates still there? (originally red but faded pink now)

Hi,
No opencast to my knowledge, may be a landfill there, the gates won't be originals, the whole site was levelled after the pit shut in 1966. We used to play on the pit site before demolition was complete. We used to skim the brass miners tallies around, there were thousands of them near the lamproom. Never thought of saving some back in 1966.
Chap sold four on Ebay last year for £1100, they're the only ones surviving in collections

Originally Posted by Coalboard

Hi,
No opencast to my knowledge, may be a landfill there, the gates won't be originals, the whole site was levelled after the pit shut in 1966. We used to play on the pit site before demolition was complete. We used to skim the brass miners tallies around, there were thousands of them near the lamproom. Never thought of saving some back in 1966.
Chap sold four on Ebay last year for £1100, they're the only ones surviving in collections

I think we should take a metal detector up there Al, id bloody love one of those tallies!!