Astley, Greater Manchester
Encyclopedia
Astley is a settlement within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
in Greater Manchester
, England, variously described as a suburb or a village. Astley lies on flat land to the northwest of the city of Manchester
, and is crossed by the Bridgewater Canal
and the A580 "East Lancashire Road"
. It forms a continuous urban area with neighbouring Tyldesley
, and is equidistant from Wigan
and Manchester city centre
, both 8.3 miles (13.4 km) away. The Astley Mosley Common ward of Wigan MBC, which covers both settlements, had a population of 11,654 in the 2001 Census.
Historically
a part of Lancashire
, the name Astley is derived from Old English, indicating Anglo-Saxon
settlement. It means "east Leigh" or "east of Leigh", a reference to Astley's location relative to the town of Leigh
; or ēastlēah the "eastern wood or clearing". Throughout the Middle Ages
, Astley constituted a township
within the parish of Leigh and hundred of West Derby
. Astley first appears in written form as Asteleghe in 1210, when its lord of the manor
granted land to the religious order of Premonstratensian
canons at Cockersand Abbey
.
Medieval and Early Modern
Astley is distinguished by the dignitaries who occupied Damhouse, the local manor house
around which a settlement expanded. The newly extended Bridgewater Canal reached Astley in 1795, and the Liverpool and Manchester Railway
in 1830. The Industrial Revolution
introduced mechanised coal mining
and the factory system
to the region in and around Astley, triggering its expansion. The village's only cotton mill
was built in 1833.
Mining subsidence coupled with structural and political changes to the mining industry began the decline in Astley's industrial activities during the mid-20th century; its cotton mill closed in 1955, and the last coal was brought to the surface in 1970. However, Astley has grown as part of a commuter belt, supported by its proximity to Manchester city centre
and inter-city transport links. Astley Green Colliery Museum
houses collections of Astley's industrial heritage
.
. The name Leigh is derived from leah, meaning originally a "wood" then a "clearing" and finally a "meadow". The first known written record of the name Astley was in legal documents dated 1210 when it appeared as the Middle English
Asteleghe. Other archaic spellings include Asteleye (1292) and Astlegh (14th and 15th centuries).
which served as the route between Roman camps at Coccium (Wigan
) and Mamucium (Manchester
). The road ran to the north of Astley, past Keeper Delph and through Tyldesley. Evidence for the presence of Anglo-Saxons
in what was a sparsely populated, heavily wooded and isolated region is provided by the study of place names that incorporate the Old English suffix of leah, such as Leigh, Tyldesley, Shakerley
, and Astley.
as a township
in the parish of Leigh. It was mentioned in documents in 1210, when Hugh of Tyldesley, Lord of the Manors of Tyldesley and Astley, granted land in Astley to Cockersand Abbey
. He was recorded as tenant of Astley Hall or Damhouse
, the manor house
of both Astley and Tyldesley, located within Tyldesley township in 1212. After Hugh's death his son Henry inherited the manors. Henry was succeeded by his son, also Henry, who, when he died in 1301, divided the lands between three of his six sons. It is from this exchange that the manors of Astley and Tyldesley were separated. The Tyldesley family continued to live at the Astley manor until April 1353 when Richard Radcliff bought it for the sum of 100 marks
. The Radcliffs remained at the hall until 1561 when William Radcliff died childless and the land passed to his half-sister Anne who married Gilbert Gerard.
In 1606 Adam Mort bought the manor house and land in Astley. He was a wealthy man who built the first Astley Chapel as a chapel of ease
for the parish church in Leigh
. The chapel was consecrated in 1631, the year that he died. He built a grammar school
that stood for over 200 years until 1833, when it was demolished and rebuilt. Adam Mort's grandson, also Adam, rebuilt Damhouse in 1650 and his initials are carved in the plaque over the front door. The stone and timber structure is named from the stream which was dammed to supply water to a waterwheel that powered the cornmill
near the house. It is possible that the hall was once surrounded by a moat.
Adam Mort's descendants continued to support the chapel and school and remained at Damhouse until 1734 when it was bought by Thomas Sutton. After Sutton's death in 1752 the house was inherited by Thomas Froggatt of Bakewell who contributed to rebuilding the chapel in 1760. Froggatt's descendants owned Damhouse until 1800 when it was leased to tenants, one of whom was George Ormerod
, owner of the Banks Estate in Tyldesley who gave land for Tyldesley churchyard, the church school and Mechanics' Institute. In 1839 the house became the property of Captain Adam Durie of Craig Lascar by marriage to Sarah Froggatt. Damhouse was in a poor state when the Duries moved in. Captain Durie gave land to build a school on Church Road. After his death in 1843 his widow, Sarah, married Colonel Malcolm Nugent Ross. The Ross's Arms public house
at Higher Green is named in his honour. The Durie's daughter Katharine, who married first, Henry Davenport and second Sir Edward Robert Weatherall, became lady of the manor after her mother's death but the family was in financial difficulties and the house and estate sold in November 1889.
The Leigh Hospital Board bought Damhouse in 1893 for use as a sanatorium
dealing with cases of diphtheria
, scarlet fever
and, in 1947, poliomyelitis
. Two bombs fell close to the hospital during World War II
. It became a general hospital in 1948 dealing with chronically ill and geriatric patients and closed in 1994.
. A factory
was built in 1833 by James and Robert Arrowsmith on Peel Lane at Astley Green, near the Bridgewater Canal
. Until then, agriculture and cottage spinning and weaving
had been the main economic activities. Fustians, muslin
s and, after 1827, silk
were woven in the area. Handloom weaving declined after the cotton factory was built. Arrowsmith's factory lasted until 1955, when mining subsidence damaged its foundations and it was demolished, ending Astley's link with the textile industry.
Astley on the Lancashire Coalfield
and had several coal mines within its boundaries. On a map of 1768, North Lane leading to Nook
and Gin Pit
Collieries was called the Coal Road and later North Coal Pit Lane. Gin Pit recalls a method of coal mining, raising coal using a horse gin
. An early colliery at Cross Hillock was abandoned in 1886 because of flooding. Samuel Jackson developed the mines that became Astley and Tyldesley Collieries
between Astley and Tyldesley.
Peat works were opened close to Astley railway station
by the Astley Peat Moss Litter Company Limited in 1888.
On 7 May 1908 the Pilkington Colliery Company started sinking the No 1 Shaft of Astley Green Colliery
near the Bridgewater Canal. The headgear
for this shaft remains a landmark in the 21st century. It is made from wrought-iron lattice girders with rivetted plates at all the joints, three wheels, two large and one small, are mounted at the top. Built by Head Wrightson of Stockton-on-Tees
in 1912, it is nearly 30 metres (98.4 ft) high.
In the winding house is a twin tandem compound steam engine made by Yates and Thom of Blackburn who also supplied 16 Lancashire boilers.
A colliery railway moved coal from the screens to the Liverpool and Manchester Railway
but some coal was transported to power stations at Trafford Park
and Stretford
using the Bridgewater Canal. Pit head baths, a canteen and medical centre designed for the Miners' Welfare Committee by architect C. Kemp, were built in 1935–36 at a cost of over £24,000 (£ as of ). There was a mining accident
at Astley Green on 7 June 1939 when five men including the manager died in an explosion of firedamp
. Women, "pit brow lasses", worked on the screens sorting coal from rock until 1955. The last coal was wound on 3 April 1970.
, a judicial division of southwest Lancashire. It was one of six townships or vills that made up the ancient ecclesiastical parish of Leigh. The townships existed before the parish. Under the terms of the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 the townships formed part of the Leigh Poor Law Union
which was established on 26 January 1837 comprising an area covering the whole of the ancient parish of Leigh and part of Winwick
. There were workhouse
s in existence in Pennington
, Culcheth
, Tyldesley and Lowton
, but Leigh Union workhouse
at Atherleigh replaced them in the 1850s. In 1894 the townships or civil parishes of Astley, Culcheth, Kenyon and Lowton became part of Leigh Rural District
which lasted until it was dissolved in 1933 and Astley was incorporated into the Tyldesley Urban District
. The urban district was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972
, and Astley became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, a local government district of the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester.
In 2010 Astley and Mosley Common
form an electoral ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
. The ward elects three councillors to the 75-member metropolitan borough council, Wigan's local authority. As of 2010, the Astley Mosley Common ward is represented by one Conservative
, and two Labour
councillors.
Following a review of parliamentary representation in Greater Manchester, the Boundary Commission recommended that Astley should be part of the Leigh
constituency at the United Kingdom general election, 2010. At the 2010 General Election Andy Burnham retained the Leigh seat with 24,295 votes
and a majority of 15,011, representing 51.3% of the vote. The Conservatives
took 19.6% of the vote, the Liberal Democrats
17.0%, the UKIP
3.2%, the BNP
5.8%, the Christian Party 0.3% and Independents 2.8%.
, Astley is on the northern side of the Chat Moss
bog, about 177 feet (54 m) above sea level
. It forms a continuous urban area with Tyldesley
to the north, and, according to the Office for National Statistics
, is a part of the Greater Manchester Urban Area
, the United Kingdom's third largest conurbation.
Astley is 8.3 miles (13.4 km) west-northwest of Manchester city centre, and 0.75 miles (1.2 km) north of the Bridgewater Canal, which straddles the village's southern hinterland from east-to-west. Astley is crossed east-to-west by the A572 and A580 roads. The hamlet of Astley Green lines a straight road leading southwards through Chat Moss, to the former Astley railway station
, which is 2 miles (3.2 km) south of the village. Astley spans an area of 2685 acres (10.9 km²), of which 1000 acres (4 km²) is peat bog
. Astley and Bedford Mosses
is one of the last surviving fragments of Chat Moss, most of which has been drained for agriculture or lost through peat removal. It occupies a 33 hectares (81.5 acre) site between central Astley and the Liverpool and Manchester Railway
. It has been a Site of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSI) since 1989. Astley Moss is crossed by the Astley Brook and Moss Brook, tributaries to the Glaze Brook
and the River Mersey
.
The underlying geology consists of the Permo-Triassic New Red Sandstone
in the south, and the Middle Coal Measures
of the Manchester Coalfield
to the north. The upper soils are a mixture of clay and sand, with a subsoil of clay. The Astley area encompasses smaller, suburban and semi-outlying areas, including Blackmoor, Astley Green, Gin Pit and Cross Hillock. The isolated hamlet of terraced houses at Gin Pit was built by the Astley and Tyldesley Collieries Company. Peace Street, Lord Street and Maden Street were named after directors of the company.
Since the early 1980s, much of the area between Tyldesley and Astley has been built on for housing. Indicators show that the township has a strong housing market, with a high owner occupancy rate of almost 80%.
Parts of Astley are among the 5% least deprived areas in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, whilst parts of the Blackmoor area, where social housing is concentrated, are within the 10–20% most deprived neighbourhoods nationally. Facilities in the village include a small local shopping centre with a post office at Blackmoor. The development of Astley Green Colliery Museum
and the heritage centre at Damhouse attract visitors interested in the area's heritage.
Damhouse, the former manor house
, is a listed building, parts of which were dated to 1595 by the Greater Manchester Archaeological Unit. The house was extended in 1650. In 1999, Morts Astley Heritage Trust was formed to preserve Damhouse and open the surrounding woodland to the public. It is situated within the Astley Village conservation area.
Morleys Hall
lies on part of the lands donated to Cockersand Abbey by Hugh Tyldesley in 1210. It was owned by the Morleys until 1431, then subsequently by the Leylands. In 1540 it was described as being largely built of timber on stone foundations and surrounded by a moat. It was rebuilt in 1804, but parts of the old hall survive. Edward Tyldesley of Wardley Hall
married Anne Leyland and inherited Morleys in 1564. Their granddaughter, Elizabeth Tyldesley
, became abbess of the Convent of Poor Clares at Gravelines
in the Spanish Netherlands. Sir Thomas Tyldesley
was the most famous of this line of the family, having been a Cavalier
commander and supporter of Charles II, King of England during the English Civil War
. He died in the Battle of Wigan Lane
and is buried at the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Leigh
. The hall passed through the Legh and Wilkinson families until it was sold to Tyldesley Urban District Council and the land used for a sewage works. The hall is a private residence.
in Astley is co-ordinated by the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive
. Bus services operate to Bolton, Tyldesley, Atherton, Wigan and Manchester, mainly operated by South Lancs Travel
and First Manchester
. Major A roads link Astley with other settlements, including the A580 "East Lancashire Road", which opened in 1934 bisecting the village. The dual carriageway
of the A580 crosses the Bridgewater Canal on a bridge at Morleys.
By 1795, the original Bridgewater Canal from Worsley
to Manchester had proved an economic success, prompting its owner, Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater
, to seek powers to extend it route to Leigh via Astley. The Duke's plans were approved, despite opposition from the local population. Canal traffic brought trade to Astley Green where the Hope and Anchor Inn (now the Boathouse) was built with stabling for horses that pulled the barges. The original canal bridge built to connect Lower and Higher Green lasted until 1904, when it was replaced. The second bridge was replaced in 1920 by an iron bridge, which could be raised to counter the effects of mining subsidence. A boatyard was established by Lingards Bridge.
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway of 1830 crosses Astley Moss. It was built on a raft of branches and cotton bales to prevent the track sinking into Chat Moss. The early engines reached speeds of 25 mi/h. The first passengers told the driver where they wished to alight until Astley railway station
was built in the mid 1840s. The railway was distant from the village and early travellers came on horseback or in carriages.
The Astley coal mines had a mineral railway system by which Gin Pit Colliery was linked to the Tyldesley Loopline
at Jackson's sidings and to Bedford Colliery
and Speakman's Sidings. An early tramway ran to a wharf on the Bridgewater Canal at Marsland Green. The locomotives were named after the colliery company directors.
In 1832 Astley children were taught in a barn at the vicarage, the curate, Alfred Hewlett, improved the barn and the chapel was used as a classroom. A national school
was built by subscription on land donated by Captain Durie of Damhouse and opened in November 1841. Meanleys Infant School was opened at Gin Pit in 1904 to serve the mining community that had grown up by the collieries. Other schools were built at Ellesmere Street and Marsland Green.
which was completed in 1630 and consecrated 3 August 1631. It was the first of three chapels dedicated to Saint Stephen
in Astley, and the first chapel of ease
of Leigh parish church. Astley Chapel was rebuilt in 1760; Thomas Froggatt gave a contribution towards the cost of reconstruction.
It was built of brick and measured 54 in 6 in (16.61 m) in length and 36 ft (11 m) in width. It had a maximum capacity of 170 people and had a small chancel. It was enlarged in 1834, 1842 and 1847, and its embattled western tower contained a aingle bell.
The church was destroyed by arson
on 18 June 1961. Also destroyed was the book collection, acquired by the Mort family, memorials to the old families and the First and Second World War memorials. It was too severely damaged to restore and a third church has been built on a nearby site.
Prominent Catholic families in the Leigh parish did not abandon the Catholic faith after the English Reformation
despite penalties levied on "Papists". Roman Catholic masses were held secretly in private homes, including Morleys Hall, home of the Tyldesleys. On Easter Sunday 1641, the Catholic priest, Ambrose Barlow
was arrested during a service at Morleys Hall at the instigation of the vicar of Leigh. He was taken to Lancaster Castle
, tried as a traitor and executed on 10 September 1641. He was canonised by the Roman Catholic Church as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales
. A local church and school bear his name. The St Ambrose Barlow parish in Astley was formed in 1965 and the church was built in 1981. St Margaret Clitherow
is the patron saint of Holy Family on Chaddock Lane and St Ambrose Barlow parishes which are part of the Leigh Pastoral Area in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool.
There were two Methodist churches in the village but one in Lower Green closed during 2009. Astley Unitarian Chapel has been demolished and the site built on. Gin Pit School doubled as a chapel for Wesleyan Methodists. Holy Family Roman Catholic Church on Chaddock Lane is used by many Astley families.
force from Atherton Police Station,
which covers Atherton, Tyldesley, Astley and Mosley Common.
The statutory emergency fire and rescue service is provided by the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
,
from Leigh and Atherton fire stations.
Hospital services are provided by the Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust who provide an Accident and Emergency
service at Wigan Hospital and outpatient clinics at Leigh Infirmary.
Community health services, including GPs, district and community nurses, dentists and pharmacists, are co-ordinated by
the Ashton, Leigh and Wigan Primary Care Trust.
Waste management is co-ordinated by the Wigan Authority, which is a statutory waste disposal authority in its own right.
Astley's Distribution Network Operator for electricity is Electricity North West Ltd.
United Utilities manages Astley's drinking and waste water.
Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in North West England. It is named after its largest component town, Wigan and also includes the towns of Leigh, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Ince-in-Makerfield, and Hindley. The borough was formed in 1974 and is an...
in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England, variously described as a suburb or a village. Astley lies on flat land to the northwest of the city of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, and is crossed by the Bridgewater Canal
Bridgewater Canal
The Bridgewater Canal connects Runcorn, Manchester and Leigh, in North West England. It was commissioned by Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, to transport coal from his mines in Worsley to Manchester...
and the A580 "East Lancashire Road"
A580 road
The A580 is a primary A road in England that connects Walton, near Liverpool and Salford, near Manchester and known officially as Liverpool-East Lancashire Road. Locally, the road is shortened to the "East Lancs". The road was designed and built to provide better access to the Port of Liverpool for...
. It forms a continuous urban area with neighbouring Tyldesley
Tyldesley
Tyldesley is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It occupies an area north of Chat Moss near the foothills of the West Pennine Moors, east-southeast of Wigan and west-northwest of the city of Manchester...
, and is equidistant from Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
and Manchester city centre
Manchester City Centre
Manchester city centre is the central business district of Manchester, England. It lies within the Manchester Inner Ring Road, next to the River Irwell...
, both 8.3 miles (13.4 km) away. The Astley Mosley Common ward of Wigan MBC, which covers both settlements, had a population of 11,654 in the 2001 Census.
Historically
Historic counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
a part of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, the name Astley is derived from Old English, indicating Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
settlement. It means "east Leigh" or "east of Leigh", a reference to Astley's location relative to the town of Leigh
Leigh, Greater Manchester
Leigh is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Wigan, and west of Manchester. Leigh is situated on low lying land to the north west of Chat Moss....
; or ēastlēah the "eastern wood or clearing". Throughout the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, Astley constituted a township
Township (England)
In England, a township is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church...
within the parish of Leigh and hundred of West Derby
West Derby (hundred)
The hundred of West Derby was an ancient division of the historic county of Lancashire, in northern England. It was sometimes known as West Derbyshire, the name alluding to its judicial centre being the township of West Derby .It covered the southwest of Lancashire, containing the ancient...
. Astley first appears in written form as Asteleghe in 1210, when its lord of the manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
granted land to the religious order of Premonstratensian
Premonstratensian
The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré, also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines, or in Britain and Ireland as the White Canons , are a Catholic religious order of canons regular founded at Prémontré near Laon in 1120 by Saint Norbert, who later became Archbishop of Magdeburg...
canons at Cockersand Abbey
Cockersand Abbey
Cockersand Abbey is a former abbey near Cockerham in the City of Lancaster district of Lancashire, England. It was founded before 1184 as the Hospital of St Mary on the marsh belonging to Leicester Abbey. It was refounded as a Premonstratensian priory and subsequently elevated to an abbey in 1192...
.
Medieval and Early Modern
Early Modern Britain
Early modern Britain is the history of the island of Great Britain, roughly corresponding to the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. Major historical events in Early Modern British history include the English Renaissance, the English Reformation and Scottish Reformation, the English Civil War, the...
Astley is distinguished by the dignitaries who occupied Damhouse, the local manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
around which a settlement expanded. The newly extended Bridgewater Canal reached Astley in 1795, and the Liverpool and Manchester Railway
Liverpool and Manchester Railway
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the world's first inter-city passenger railway in which all the trains were timetabled and were hauled for most of the distance solely by steam locomotives. The line opened on 15 September 1830 and ran between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester in North...
in 1830. The Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
introduced mechanised coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
and the factory system
Factory system
The factory system was a method of manufacturing first adopted in England at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the 1750s and later spread abroad. Fundamentally, each worker created a separate part of the total assembly of a product, thus increasing the efficiency of factories. Workers,...
to the region in and around Astley, triggering its expansion. The village's only cotton mill
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
was built in 1833.
Mining subsidence coupled with structural and political changes to the mining industry began the decline in Astley's industrial activities during the mid-20th century; its cotton mill closed in 1955, and the last coal was brought to the surface in 1970. However, Astley has grown as part of a commuter belt, supported by its proximity to Manchester city centre
Manchester City Centre
Manchester city centre is the central business district of Manchester, England. It lies within the Manchester Inner Ring Road, next to the River Irwell...
and inter-city transport links. Astley Green Colliery Museum
Astley Green Colliery Museum
The Astley Green Colliery Museum is a museum run by the Red Rose Steam Society in Astley near Tyldesley in Greater Manchester, England. Before becoming a museum, the site was a working colliery that produced coal from 1912 to 1970; it is now protected as a Scheduled Monument...
houses collections of Astley's industrial heritage
Industrial heritage
Industrial heritage is an aspect of cultural heritage dealing specifically with the buildings and artifacts of industry which are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations, often forming a significant attraction for tourism.The...
.
Toponymy
The name Astley is of Old English derivation, and means "east Leigh", a reference to the village's position in relation to LeighLeigh, Greater Manchester
Leigh is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Wigan, and west of Manchester. Leigh is situated on low lying land to the north west of Chat Moss....
. The name Leigh is derived from leah, meaning originally a "wood" then a "clearing" and finally a "meadow". The first known written record of the name Astley was in legal documents dated 1210 when it appeared as the Middle English
Middle English
Middle English is the stage in the history of the English language during the High and Late Middle Ages, or roughly during the four centuries between the late 11th and the late 15th century....
Asteleghe. Other archaic spellings include Asteleye (1292) and Astlegh (14th and 15th centuries).
Early history
The earliest evidence of human activity in the area is the remains of a Roman roadRoman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
which served as the route between Roman camps at Coccium (Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
) and Mamucium (Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
). The road ran to the north of Astley, past Keeper Delph and through Tyldesley. Evidence for the presence of Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
in what was a sparsely populated, heavily wooded and isolated region is provided by the study of place names that incorporate the Old English suffix of leah, such as Leigh, Tyldesley, Shakerley
Shakerley
Shakerley is a suburb of Tyldesley in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England.It was anciently a hamlet in the northwest of the township of Tyldesley cum Shakerley, in the ancient parish ofLeigh....
, and Astley.
Manor
Astley emerged during the Early Middle AgesEarly Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
as a township
Township (England)
In England, a township is a local division or district of a large parish containing a village or small town usually having its own church...
in the parish of Leigh. It was mentioned in documents in 1210, when Hugh of Tyldesley, Lord of the Manors of Tyldesley and Astley, granted land in Astley to Cockersand Abbey
Cockersand Abbey
Cockersand Abbey is a former abbey near Cockerham in the City of Lancaster district of Lancashire, England. It was founded before 1184 as the Hospital of St Mary on the marsh belonging to Leicester Abbey. It was refounded as a Premonstratensian priory and subsequently elevated to an abbey in 1192...
. He was recorded as tenant of Astley Hall or Damhouse
Damhouse
Damhouse or Astley Hall is a Grade II* Listed building located in Tyldesley, Greater Manchester, England. It has served as a manor house, sanatorium, and, since restoration in 2000, houses offices, a clinic, nursery and tearooms.-History:...
, the manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
of both Astley and Tyldesley, located within Tyldesley township in 1212. After Hugh's death his son Henry inherited the manors. Henry was succeeded by his son, also Henry, who, when he died in 1301, divided the lands between three of his six sons. It is from this exchange that the manors of Astley and Tyldesley were separated. The Tyldesley family continued to live at the Astley manor until April 1353 when Richard Radcliff bought it for the sum of 100 marks
Mark (money)
Mark was a measure of weight mainly for gold and silver, commonly used throughout western Europe and often equivalent to 8 ounces. Considerable variations, however, occurred throughout the Middle Ages Mark (from a merging of three Teutonic/Germanic languages words, Latinized in 9th century...
. The Radcliffs remained at the hall until 1561 when William Radcliff died childless and the land passed to his half-sister Anne who married Gilbert Gerard.
Chapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
for the parish church in Leigh
Church of St Mary the Virgin, Leigh
The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, Leigh is a Church of England parish church in Leigh, Greater Manchester, England. It is a member of the Leigh deanery in the archdeaconry of Salford, diocese of Manchester.It is a Grade II* listed building....
. The chapel was consecrated in 1631, the year that he died. He built a grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
that stood for over 200 years until 1833, when it was demolished and rebuilt. Adam Mort's grandson, also Adam, rebuilt Damhouse in 1650 and his initials are carved in the plaque over the front door. The stone and timber structure is named from the stream which was dammed to supply water to a waterwheel that powered the cornmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
near the house. It is possible that the hall was once surrounded by a moat.
Adam Mort's descendants continued to support the chapel and school and remained at Damhouse until 1734 when it was bought by Thomas Sutton. After Sutton's death in 1752 the house was inherited by Thomas Froggatt of Bakewell who contributed to rebuilding the chapel in 1760. Froggatt's descendants owned Damhouse until 1800 when it was leased to tenants, one of whom was George Ormerod
George Ormerod
George Ormerod was an English antiquary and historian. Amongst his writings was a major account of the history of Cheshire, a county in northwestern England.-Biography:...
, owner of the Banks Estate in Tyldesley who gave land for Tyldesley churchyard, the church school and Mechanics' Institute. In 1839 the house became the property of Captain Adam Durie of Craig Lascar by marriage to Sarah Froggatt. Damhouse was in a poor state when the Duries moved in. Captain Durie gave land to build a school on Church Road. After his death in 1843 his widow, Sarah, married Colonel Malcolm Nugent Ross. The Ross's Arms public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
at Higher Green is named in his honour. The Durie's daughter Katharine, who married first, Henry Davenport and second Sir Edward Robert Weatherall, became lady of the manor after her mother's death but the family was in financial difficulties and the house and estate sold in November 1889.
The Leigh Hospital Board bought Damhouse in 1893 for use as a sanatorium
Sanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
dealing with cases of diphtheria
Diphtheria
Diphtheria is an upper respiratory tract illness caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, a facultative anaerobic, Gram-positive bacterium. It is characterized by sore throat, low fever, and an adherent membrane on the tonsils, pharynx, and/or nasal cavity...
, scarlet fever
Scarlet fever
Scarlet fever is a disease caused by exotoxin released by Streptococcus pyogenes. Once a major cause of death, it is now effectively treated with antibiotics...
and, in 1947, poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route...
. Two bombs fell close to the hospital during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It became a general hospital in 1948 dealing with chronically ill and geriatric patients and closed in 1994.
Industrial Revolution
Astley became more industrialised during the early 19th century, but not so much as neighbouring Leigh, Tyldesley and BoothstownBoothstown
Boothstown is a residential village straddling the City of Salford and Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is situated to the west of the City of Salford, bordered to the north by the East Lancashire Road A580 and to the south by the Bridgewater Canal...
. A factory
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
was built in 1833 by James and Robert Arrowsmith on Peel Lane at Astley Green, near the Bridgewater Canal
Bridgewater Canal
The Bridgewater Canal connects Runcorn, Manchester and Leigh, in North West England. It was commissioned by Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater, to transport coal from his mines in Worsley to Manchester...
. Until then, agriculture and cottage spinning and weaving
Putting-Out system
The putting-out system was a means of subcontracting work. It was also known as the workshop system. In putting-out, work was contracted by a central agent to subcontractors who completed the work in their own facilities, usually their own homes....
had been the main economic activities. Fustians, muslin
Muslin
Muslin |sewing patterns]], such as for clothing, curtains, or upholstery. Because air moves easily through muslin, muslin clothing is suitable for hot, dry climates.- Etymology and history :...
s and, after 1827, silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
were woven in the area. Handloom weaving declined after the cotton factory was built. Arrowsmith's factory lasted until 1955, when mining subsidence damaged its foundations and it was demolished, ending Astley's link with the textile industry.
Astley on the Lancashire Coalfield
Lancashire Coalfield
The Lancashire Coalfield in north-west England was one of the most important British coalfields.-Geography and geology:The geology of the coalfield consists of the coal seams of the Upper, Middle and Lower Coal Measures, layers of sandstones, shales and coal of varying thickness, which were laid...
and had several coal mines within its boundaries. On a map of 1768, North Lane leading to Nook
Nook Colliery
Nook Colliery was a coal mine operating on the Manchester Coalfield after 1866 in Tyldesley, Greater Manchester, then in the historic county of Lancashire, England....
and Gin Pit
Gin Pit Colliery
Gin Pit was a coal mine operating on the Lancashire Coalfield from the 1840s in Tyldesley, Greater Manchester then in the historic county of Lancashire, England...
Collieries was called the Coal Road and later North Coal Pit Lane. Gin Pit recalls a method of coal mining, raising coal using a horse gin
Horse mill
A horse mill is a mill that uses a horse as the power source. Any milling process can be powered in this way, but the most frequent use of animal power in horse mills was for grinding grain and pumping water. Other animals used for powering mills include dogs, donkeys and oxen. Engines powered by...
. An early colliery at Cross Hillock was abandoned in 1886 because of flooding. Samuel Jackson developed the mines that became Astley and Tyldesley Collieries
Astley and Tyldesley Collieries
The Astley and Tyldesley Collieries Company formed in 1900 owned coal mines on the Lancashire Coalfield south of the railway in Astley and Tyldesley, then in the historic county of Lancashire, England...
between Astley and Tyldesley.
Peat works were opened close to Astley railway station
Astley railway station
Astley was a railway station on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway to the south of Astley village in what was then the county of Lancashire in England.-History:...
by the Astley Peat Moss Litter Company Limited in 1888.
On 7 May 1908 the Pilkington Colliery Company started sinking the No 1 Shaft of Astley Green Colliery
Astley Green Colliery
Astley Green Colliery was a coal mine in Astley, Greater Manchester, then in the historic county of Lancashire, England. Sinking commenced in 1908 by the Pilkington Colliery Company, a subsidiary of the Clifton and Kersley Coal Company, at the southern edge of the Manchester Coalfield, working the...
near the Bridgewater Canal. The headgear
Headframe
A headframe is the structural frame above an underground mine shaft. Modern headframes are built out of steel, concrete or a combination of both...
for this shaft remains a landmark in the 21st century. It is made from wrought-iron lattice girders with rivetted plates at all the joints, three wheels, two large and one small, are mounted at the top. Built by Head Wrightson of Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees is a market town in north east England. It is the major settlement in the unitary authority and borough of Stockton-on-Tees. For ceremonial purposes, the borough is split between County Durham and North Yorkshire as it also incorporates a number of smaller towns including...
in 1912, it is nearly 30 metres (98.4 ft) high.
In the winding house is a twin tandem compound steam engine made by Yates and Thom of Blackburn who also supplied 16 Lancashire boilers.
A colliery railway moved coal from the screens to the Liverpool and Manchester Railway
Liverpool and Manchester Railway
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the world's first inter-city passenger railway in which all the trains were timetabled and were hauled for most of the distance solely by steam locomotives. The line opened on 15 September 1830 and ran between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester in North...
but some coal was transported to power stations at Trafford Park
Trafford Park
Trafford Park is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Located opposite Salford Quays, on the southern side of the Manchester Ship Canal, it is west-southwest of Manchester city centre, and north of Stretford. Until the late 19th century it was the...
and Stretford
Stretford
Stretford is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Lying on flat ground between the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal, it is to the southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Salford and northeast of Altrincham...
using the Bridgewater Canal. Pit head baths, a canteen and medical centre designed for the Miners' Welfare Committee by architect C. Kemp, were built in 1935–36 at a cost of over £24,000 (£ as of ). There was a mining accident
Mining accident
A mining accident is an accident that occurs during the process of mining minerals.Thousands of miners die from mining accidents each year, especially in the processes of coal mining and hard rock mining...
at Astley Green on 7 June 1939 when five men including the manager died in an explosion of firedamp
Firedamp
Firedamp is a flammable gas found in coal mines. It is the name given to a number of flammable gases, especially methane. It is particularly commonly found in areas where the coal is bituminous...
. Women, "pit brow lasses", worked on the screens sorting coal from rock until 1955. The last coal was wound on 3 April 1970.
Governance
Historically, Astley formed part of the Hundred of West DerbyWest Derby (hundred)
The hundred of West Derby was an ancient division of the historic county of Lancashire, in northern England. It was sometimes known as West Derbyshire, the name alluding to its judicial centre being the township of West Derby .It covered the southwest of Lancashire, containing the ancient...
, a judicial division of southwest Lancashire. It was one of six townships or vills that made up the ancient ecclesiastical parish of Leigh. The townships existed before the parish. Under the terms of the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834 the townships formed part of the Leigh Poor Law Union
Poor Law Union
A Poor Law Union was a unit used for local government in the United Kingdom from the 19th century. The administration of the Poor Law was the responsibility of parishes, which varied wildly in their size, populations, financial resources, rateable values and requirements...
which was established on 26 January 1837 comprising an area covering the whole of the ancient parish of Leigh and part of Winwick
Winwick
Winwick may refer to:*Winwick, Cambridgeshire, England*Winwick, Cheshire, England*Winwick, Northamptonshire, England...
. There were workhouse
Workhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
s in existence in Pennington
Pennington
-Places:United States*Pennington, Alabama*Pennington, New Jersey*Pennington, Texas*Pennington, Wisconsin**home to The Pennington School*The Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana*Pennington County, Minnesota...
, Culcheth
Culcheth
Culcheth is a large village approximately 6 miles north-east of Warrington, England. It is the principal settlement in Culcheth and Glazebury civil parish. The village has many amenities which make it a popular place to live. These include a library, a village hall, sports facilities, two...
, Tyldesley and Lowton
Lowton
Lowton is a village, part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It is around from Leigh and south of Wigan. The settlement lies across the A580 East Lancashire Road....
, but Leigh Union workhouse
Leigh Union workhouse
Leigh Union workhouse, also known as the Leigh workhouse and after 1930, Atherleigh Hospital, was a workhouse built in 1850 by the Leigh Poor Law Union on Leigh Road, Atherton in the historic county of Lancashire.-Background:...
at Atherleigh replaced them in the 1850s. In 1894 the townships or civil parishes of Astley, Culcheth, Kenyon and Lowton became part of Leigh Rural District
Leigh Rural District
Leigh Rural District was, from 1894 to 1933, a rural district of the administrative county of Lancashire, in northwest England. It spanned a rural area outyling from the town Leigh....
which lasted until it was dissolved in 1933 and Astley was incorporated into the Tyldesley Urban District
Tyldesley Urban District
Tyldesley cum Shakerley Urban District and its successor Tyldesley Urban District was, from 1894 to 1974, a local government district in Lancashire, England.-History:...
. The urban district was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
, and Astley became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, a local government district of the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester.
In 2010 Astley and Mosley Common
Mosley Common
Mosley Common is a suburb of Tyldesley at the far-eastern edge of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England.It was anciently a hamlet in the east of the township of Tyldesley cum Shakerley, in the ancient parish of Leigh...
form an electoral ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, in North West England. It is named after its largest component town, Wigan and also includes the towns of Leigh, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Ince-in-Makerfield, and Hindley. The borough was formed in 1974 and is an...
. The ward elects three councillors to the 75-member metropolitan borough council, Wigan's local authority. As of 2010, the Astley Mosley Common ward is represented by one Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
, and two Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
councillors.
Following a review of parliamentary representation in Greater Manchester, the Boundary Commission recommended that Astley should be part of the Leigh
Leigh (UK Parliament constituency)
Leigh is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
constituency at the United Kingdom general election, 2010. At the 2010 General Election Andy Burnham retained the Leigh seat with 24,295 votes
and a majority of 15,011, representing 51.3% of the vote. The Conservatives
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
took 19.6% of the vote, the Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
17.0%, the UKIP
United Kingdom Independence Party
The United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP...
3.2%, the BNP
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
5.8%, the Christian Party 0.3% and Independents 2.8%.
Geography
At 53°30′3"N 2°26′44"W (53.5008°, −2.4454°), and 163 miles (262 km) northwest of central LondonCentral London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
, Astley is on the northern side of the Chat Moss
Chat Moss
Chat Moss is a large area of peat bog that makes up 30 percent of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It is north of the River Irwell, to the west of Manchester, and occupies an area of about...
bog, about 177 feet (54 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. It forms a continuous urban area with Tyldesley
Tyldesley
Tyldesley is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It occupies an area north of Chat Moss near the foothills of the West Pennine Moors, east-southeast of Wigan and west-northwest of the city of Manchester...
to the north, and, according to the Office for National Statistics
Office for National Statistics
The Office for National Statistics is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority, a non-ministerial department which reports directly to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.- Overview :...
, is a part of the Greater Manchester Urban Area
Greater Manchester Urban Area
The Greater Manchester Urban Area is an area of land defined by the Office for National Statistics consisting of the large conurbation that encompasses the city of Manchester and the continuous metropolitan area that spreads outwards from it, forming much of Greater Manchester in North West England...
, the United Kingdom's third largest conurbation.
Astley is 8.3 miles (13.4 km) west-northwest of Manchester city centre, and 0.75 miles (1.2 km) north of the Bridgewater Canal, which straddles the village's southern hinterland from east-to-west. Astley is crossed east-to-west by the A572 and A580 roads. The hamlet of Astley Green lines a straight road leading southwards through Chat Moss, to the former Astley railway station
Astley railway station
Astley was a railway station on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway to the south of Astley village in what was then the county of Lancashire in England.-History:...
, which is 2 miles (3.2 km) south of the village. Astley spans an area of 2685 acres (10.9 km²), of which 1000 acres (4 km²) is peat bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
. Astley and Bedford Mosses
Astley and Bedford Mosses
Astley and Bedford Mosses are areas of peat bog south of the Bridgewater Canal and north of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway in Astley and Bedford, Greater Manchester, England. They are among the last remaining fragments of Chat Moss, the raised bog that once covered a large area of south...
is one of the last surviving fragments of Chat Moss, most of which has been drained for agriculture or lost through peat removal. It occupies a 33 hectares (81.5 acre) site between central Astley and the Liverpool and Manchester Railway
Liverpool and Manchester Railway
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the world's first inter-city passenger railway in which all the trains were timetabled and were hauled for most of the distance solely by steam locomotives. The line opened on 15 September 1830 and ran between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester in North...
. It has been a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
(SSSI) since 1989. Astley Moss is crossed by the Astley Brook and Moss Brook, tributaries to the Glaze Brook
Glaze Brook
The Glaze Brook is a minor river in Greater Manchester, England.The brook drains a large area around Leigh and is formed at the outflow of Pennington Flash close to Aspull Common...
and the River Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
.
The underlying geology consists of the Permo-Triassic New Red Sandstone
New Red Sandstone
The New Red Sandstone is a chiefly British geological term for the beds of red sandstone and associated rocks laid down throughout the Permian to the beginning of the Triassic that underlie the Jurassic Lias; the term distinguishes it from the Old Red Sandstone which is largely Devonian in...
in the south, and the Middle Coal Measures
Coal Measures
The Coal Measures is a lithostratigraphical term for the coal-bearing part of the Upper Carboniferous System. It represents the remains of fluvio-deltaic sediment, and consists mainly of clastic rocks interstratified with the beds of coal...
of the Manchester Coalfield
Manchester Coalfield
The Manchester Coalfield is part of the South East Lancashire Coalfield. Its coal seams were laid down in the Carboniferous period and some easily accessible seams were worked on a small scale from the Middle Ages and extensively from the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the early 19th...
to the north. The upper soils are a mixture of clay and sand, with a subsoil of clay. The Astley area encompasses smaller, suburban and semi-outlying areas, including Blackmoor, Astley Green, Gin Pit and Cross Hillock. The isolated hamlet of terraced houses at Gin Pit was built by the Astley and Tyldesley Collieries Company. Peace Street, Lord Street and Maden Street were named after directors of the company.
Demography
| Population growth in Astley from 1881 to 1931 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1881 | 1891 | 1901 | 1911 | 1921 | 1931 | |||||
| Population | 2,669 | 2,552 | 2,823 | 3,556 | 3,902 | 4,584 | |||||
Astley CP/Ch |
|||||||||||
Economy
Before deindustrialisation in the late 20th century, Astley's economy was linked with the textile industry and coal mines which developed during the Industrial Revolution. Now the main concentration of employment is at the Chaddock Lane Industrial Estate on either side of the A572 road between Astley and the East Lancashire Road.Since the early 1980s, much of the area between Tyldesley and Astley has been built on for housing. Indicators show that the township has a strong housing market, with a high owner occupancy rate of almost 80%.
Parts of Astley are among the 5% least deprived areas in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, whilst parts of the Blackmoor area, where social housing is concentrated, are within the 10–20% most deprived neighbourhoods nationally. Facilities in the village include a small local shopping centre with a post office at Blackmoor. The development of Astley Green Colliery Museum
Astley Green Colliery Museum
The Astley Green Colliery Museum is a museum run by the Red Rose Steam Society in Astley near Tyldesley in Greater Manchester, England. Before becoming a museum, the site was a working colliery that produced coal from 1912 to 1970; it is now protected as a Scheduled Monument...
and the heritage centre at Damhouse attract visitors interested in the area's heritage.
Landmarks
The site of Astley Green Colliery Museum, a scheduled ancient monument, retains its engine house and headgear, a prominent feature that can be seen from around the local area.Damhouse, the former manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
, is a listed building, parts of which were dated to 1595 by the Greater Manchester Archaeological Unit. The house was extended in 1650. In 1999, Morts Astley Heritage Trust was formed to preserve Damhouse and open the surrounding woodland to the public. It is situated within the Astley Village conservation area.
Morleys Hall
Morleys Hall
Morleys Hall, a moated hall converted to two houses, is situated at on Morleys Lane, on the edge of Astley Moss in Astley, Greater Manchester, England. It was largely rebuilt in the 19th century on the site of a medieval timber house. The hall is a Grade II* listed building and the moat a...
lies on part of the lands donated to Cockersand Abbey by Hugh Tyldesley in 1210. It was owned by the Morleys until 1431, then subsequently by the Leylands. In 1540 it was described as being largely built of timber on stone foundations and surrounded by a moat. It was rebuilt in 1804, but parts of the old hall survive. Edward Tyldesley of Wardley Hall
Wardley Hall
Wardley Hall is an early medieval manor house and a Grade I listed building in the Wardley area of Worsley, in Greater Manchester . . There has been a moat on the site since at least 1292. The current hall dates from around 1500 but was extensively rebuilt in the 19th and 20th centuries. The 1894...
married Anne Leyland and inherited Morleys in 1564. Their granddaughter, Elizabeth Tyldesley
Elizabeth Tyldesley
Elizabeth Tyldesley was a 17th-century abbess at the Poor Clare Convent at Gravelines.Elizabeth Tyldesley born in 1585, was the daughter of Thomas Tyldesley of Morleys Hall, Astley and Myerscough Hall and Elizabeth Anderton of Lostock, in Lancashire...
, became abbess of the Convent of Poor Clares at Gravelines
Convent of Poor Clares at Gravelines
The Convent of Poor Clares at Gravelines in the Spanish Netherlands , was a community of English nuns of the Order of St. Clare,commonly called "Poor Clares", which was founded in 1607, by Mary Ward. The Poor Clares were founded in 1212 by Saint Clare of Assisi as the Second Order of the Franciscan...
in the Spanish Netherlands. Sir Thomas Tyldesley
Thomas Tyldesley
Sir Thomas Tyldesley was a supporter of Charles I and a Royalist commander during the English Civil War.Thomas Tyldesley was born on 3 September 1612 at Woodplumpton, the eldest of the six children of Edward Tyldesley of Morleys Hall, Astley, in the parish of Leigh and his wife Elizabeth Preston...
was the most famous of this line of the family, having been a Cavalier
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
commander and supporter of Charles II, King of England during the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. He died in the Battle of Wigan Lane
Battle of Wigan Lane
The Battle of Wigan Lane was fought on 25 August 1651 during the Third English Civil War, between Royalists under the command of the Earl of Derby and elements of the New Model Army under the command of Colonel Robert Lilburne...
and is buried at the Church of St Mary the Virgin, Leigh
Church of St Mary the Virgin, Leigh
The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, Leigh is a Church of England parish church in Leigh, Greater Manchester, England. It is a member of the Leigh deanery in the archdeaconry of Salford, diocese of Manchester.It is a Grade II* listed building....
. The hall passed through the Legh and Wilkinson families until it was sold to Tyldesley Urban District Council and the land used for a sewage works. The hall is a private residence.
Transport
Public transportPublic transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
in Astley is co-ordinated by the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive
Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive
Transport for Greater Manchester is the public body responsible for co-ordinating public transport services throughout Greater Manchester, in North West England. The organisation traces its origins to the Transport Act 1968, when the SELNEC Passenger Transport Executive was established to...
. Bus services operate to Bolton, Tyldesley, Atherton, Wigan and Manchester, mainly operated by South Lancs Travel
South Lancs Travel
South Lancs Travel is a privately owned bus operator in the districts of Bolton and Wigan in Greater Manchester operating an extensive commercial network along with tendered services on behalf of Transport for Greater Manchester. It also serves some areas of the districts of Salford & Trafford such...
and First Manchester
First Manchester
First Manchester is one of the bus companies serving Greater Manchester, a metropolitan county in North West England. It forms part of FirstGroup, a company operating transport services across the British Isles and in North America...
. Major A roads link Astley with other settlements, including the A580 "East Lancashire Road", which opened in 1934 bisecting the village. The dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
of the A580 crosses the Bridgewater Canal on a bridge at Morleys.
By 1795, the original Bridgewater Canal from Worsley
Worsley
Worsley is a town in the metropolitan borough of the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies along the course of Worsley Brook, west of Manchester. The M60 motorway bisects the area....
to Manchester had proved an economic success, prompting its owner, Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater
Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater
Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater , known as Lord Francis Egerton until 1748, was a British nobleman, the younger son of the 1st Duke...
, to seek powers to extend it route to Leigh via Astley. The Duke's plans were approved, despite opposition from the local population. Canal traffic brought trade to Astley Green where the Hope and Anchor Inn (now the Boathouse) was built with stabling for horses that pulled the barges. The original canal bridge built to connect Lower and Higher Green lasted until 1904, when it was replaced. The second bridge was replaced in 1920 by an iron bridge, which could be raised to counter the effects of mining subsidence. A boatyard was established by Lingards Bridge.
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway of 1830 crosses Astley Moss. It was built on a raft of branches and cotton bales to prevent the track sinking into Chat Moss. The early engines reached speeds of 25 mi/h. The first passengers told the driver where they wished to alight until Astley railway station
Astley railway station
Astley was a railway station on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway to the south of Astley village in what was then the county of Lancashire in England.-History:...
was built in the mid 1840s. The railway was distant from the village and early travellers came on horseback or in carriages.
The Astley coal mines had a mineral railway system by which Gin Pit Colliery was linked to the Tyldesley Loopline
Tyldesley Loopline
The Tyldesley Loopline was the London and North Western Railway's Manchester and Wigan Railway line from Eccles to the junction west of Tyldesley station and its continuance south west via Bedford Leigh to Kenyon Junction on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. The line opened on September 1st 1864...
at Jackson's sidings and to Bedford Colliery
Bedford Colliery
Bedford Colliery, also known as Wood End Pit, was a coal mine on the Manchester Coalfield in Bedford, Leigh, Greater Manchester, England. The colliery was owned by John Speakman, who started sinking two shafts in about 1874 on land at Wood End Farm in the northeast part of Bedford, south of the...
and Speakman's Sidings. An early tramway ran to a wharf on the Bridgewater Canal at Marsland Green. The locomotives were named after the colliery company directors.
Education
Adam Mort established a grammar school at Astley in 1631. Situated by the chapel, it was in use until 1833. Children from poor families were admitted free, but those who could afford to pay covered the extra costs. Mort's School closed in 1894.In 1832 Astley children were taught in a barn at the vicarage, the curate, Alfred Hewlett, improved the barn and the chapel was used as a classroom. A national school
National school (England and Wales)
A national school was a school founded in 19th century England and Wales by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education.These schools provided elementary education, in accordance with the teaching of the Church of England, to the children of the poor.Together with the less numerous...
was built by subscription on land donated by Captain Durie of Damhouse and opened in November 1841. Meanleys Infant School was opened at Gin Pit in 1904 to serve the mining community that had grown up by the collieries. Other schools were built at Ellesmere Street and Marsland Green.
Religion
Adam Mort, of Damhouse, built Astley ChapelSt Stephen's Church, Astley
St Stephen's Church is a church in Astley, Greater Manchester, England. It is an active Anglican church built in 1968 and part of Leigh deanery in the archdeaconry of Salford, diocese of Manchester. The church, together with St George and St. John, is part of the united benefice of Astley,...
which was completed in 1630 and consecrated 3 August 1631. It was the first of three chapels dedicated to Saint Stephen
Saint Stephen
Saint Stephen The Protomartyr , the protomartyr of Christianity, is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Churches....
in Astley, and the first chapel of ease
Chapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
of Leigh parish church. Astley Chapel was rebuilt in 1760; Thomas Froggatt gave a contribution towards the cost of reconstruction.
It was built of brick and measured 54 in 6 in (16.61 m) in length and 36 ft (11 m) in width. It had a maximum capacity of 170 people and had a small chancel. It was enlarged in 1834, 1842 and 1847, and its embattled western tower contained a aingle bell.
The church was destroyed by arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
on 18 June 1961. Also destroyed was the book collection, acquired by the Mort family, memorials to the old families and the First and Second World War memorials. It was too severely damaged to restore and a third church has been built on a nearby site.
Prominent Catholic families in the Leigh parish did not abandon the Catholic faith after the English Reformation
English Reformation
The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th-century England by which the Church of England broke away from the authority of the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church....
despite penalties levied on "Papists". Roman Catholic masses were held secretly in private homes, including Morleys Hall, home of the Tyldesleys. On Easter Sunday 1641, the Catholic priest, Ambrose Barlow
Ambrose Barlow
Ambrose Edward Barlow, O.S.B., was an English Benedictine monk who is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. He is one of a group of saints canonized by Pope Paul VI who became known as the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales....
was arrested during a service at Morleys Hall at the instigation of the vicar of Leigh. He was taken to Lancaster Castle
Lancaster Castle
Lancaster Castle is a medieval castle located in Lancaster in the English county of Lancashire. Its early history is unclear, but may have been founded in the 11th century on the site of a Roman fort overlooking a crossing of the River Lune. In 1164, the Honour of Lancaster, including the...
, tried as a traitor and executed on 10 September 1641. He was canonised by the Roman Catholic Church as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales
Forty Martyrs of England and Wales
The Forty Martyrs of England and Wales are a group of men and women who were executed for treason and related offences in the Kingdom of England between 1535 and 1679...
. A local church and school bear his name. The St Ambrose Barlow parish in Astley was formed in 1965 and the church was built in 1981. St Margaret Clitherow
Margaret Clitherow
Saint Margaret Clitherow is an English saint and martyr of the Roman Catholic Church. She is sometimes called "the Pearl of York".-Life:...
is the patron saint of Holy Family on Chaddock Lane and St Ambrose Barlow parishes which are part of the Leigh Pastoral Area in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool.
There were two Methodist churches in the village but one in Lower Green closed during 2009. Astley Unitarian Chapel has been demolished and the site built on. Gin Pit School doubled as a chapel for Wesleyan Methodists. Holy Family Roman Catholic Church on Chaddock Lane is used by many Astley families.
Sport
Astley and Tyldesley Miners' Welfare Club at Gin Pit is the venue for several sporting groups including Astley and Tyldesley Cricket Club and the Astley and Tyldesley Roadrunners. The Astley and Tyldesley Cycle Speedway Club was formed in 1989 and built a race track at the Miners' Welfare Club in 1991.Public services
Astley is policed by the Greater Manchester PoliceGreater Manchester Police
Greater Manchester Police is the police force responsible for law enforcement within the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester in North West England...
force from Atherton Police Station,
which covers Atherton, Tyldesley, Astley and Mosley Common.
The statutory emergency fire and rescue service is provided by the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service is the statutory emergency fire and rescue service for the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester, England.Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service covers an area of approximately...
,
from Leigh and Atherton fire stations.
Hospital services are provided by the Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust who provide an Accident and Emergency
Emergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...
service at Wigan Hospital and outpatient clinics at Leigh Infirmary.
Community health services, including GPs, district and community nurses, dentists and pharmacists, are co-ordinated by
the Ashton, Leigh and Wigan Primary Care Trust.
Waste management is co-ordinated by the Wigan Authority, which is a statutory waste disposal authority in its own right.
Astley's Distribution Network Operator for electricity is Electricity North West Ltd.
United Utilities manages Astley's drinking and waste water.