The Run To Astley Colliery Mining Museum
A dry but overcast day saw 9 riders arrive at the football club to travel down to Astley Green. I had planned to use the A6 as the route but mark had travelled up that morning and recommended a scenic route. We agreed to his suggestion, as long as we got there by closing time, and off we went!
Mark led us into Chorley and turned right to cross the M61 to Wheelton and down to the junction on the M65 where we turned through 270 degrees to take Stanworth Brow up to Abbey Village and on to Belmont village. Just after passing Springs Reservoir we turned off right up Scout Road and skirted round Bolton to join the A6 at Wingates and then travelled to the outskirts of Walkden where we turned off and headed south to cross the A580 at Astley green to arrive at the museum at about 1:15pm.
By now the clouds had dispersed and the sun was shining so after parking the bikes we went over to the Tea tent and ate our sandwiches and enjoyed a cuppa.
After this we all split up and walked round to see the exhibits. The winding engine in the main building is immense with a winding drum weighing 105 tons. I spoke to an old gentleman who had obviously worked at the mine as a lad and he was profoundly deaf but by lip reading and pointing/demonstrating he was able to help me understand the mechanics of the engine and how the cages and coal were safely brought to the pit head and how the cable was adjusted to counteract the inevitable stretch it suffered through lifting its own weight, the cage, miners and coal from over 2000 feet below ground. I found all this incredibly interesting.
A walk around the exhibits outside showed a collection of steam engines from all around the north and covered up were some steam locomotives as well. At the back of the site there was a little station on the colliery railway line where visitors can ride the trains when they are operating. Further down there were 2 of the original 16 boilers that were used to provide the steam for the mine and even further round was the pit head that Fred Dibnah had built at his house when he created a museum of his own. I then walked back to the main area, past a huge steam crane that looks like a long term project for the volunteers!
At the tea rooms is a mocked up miners house with a typical early 1900’s layout that was created by the film company that made the series “Peaky Blinders”. The lady in the house said I looked “Gam” and dressed me up in miners costume, sat me by the fire with flat hat, pint mug and pipe and took pictures of me to show the lads what I would have looked like as a miner at home!
It was now about 4pm and after signing the visitors book and depositing some donations in the collection boxes we went back to the bikes to find our way home. Some took the A580 West but most drove back to the A6 and headed North towards Chorley or the M61 junction at Blackrod.
Overall it was a very enjoyable day out with the dry sunny weather making for good riding. (Shame about the traffic and scores of traffic lights though!)
Thanks to Mark for leading the scenic route and thanks to all who turned out.
Richard