Howe Bridge
Encyclopedia
Howe Bridge is a suburb
of Atherton
in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
, Greater Manchester
, England. It is situated to the south west of Atherton town centre on the B5215, the old turnpike
road from Bolton to Leigh
. The settlement was built as a model village
for Fletcher, Burrows and Company
, owners of Atherton Collieries.
. The pits developed and the Fletcher, Burrows and Company
was formed in 1870. Howe Bridge Colliery
employed 460 men in 1954.
In 1908 the Howe Bridge Mines Rescue Station
opened on Lovers Lane. It was the first mines rescue station in Lancashire.
at Howe Bridge was originally named Chowbent and, in common with other stations on the Manchester to Wigan Line
, was opened by the London and North Western Railway
on 1 September 1864.
South Lancashire Tramways
built a tram
shed, power station and offices in 1901 on the north side of Leigh Road. It was taken over by Lancashire United Transport
who built a bus depot on the south side Leigh Road on the site of the closed Howe Bridge Colliery pithead.
was built in 1877 as a result of the late Victorian urbanisation which occurred when the small settlement on the road from Atherton to Leigh became a pit village when deep mining began at Howe Bridge Colliery
. The church was designed by Paley and Austin of Lancaster
, and the £7,000 cost was given by John Fletcher.
.
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Atherton
Atherton, Greater Manchester
Atherton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England, historically a part of Lancashire. It is east of Wigan, north-northeast of Leigh, and northwest of Manchester...
in 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...
, 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. It is situated to the south west of Atherton town centre on the B5215, the old turnpike
Turnpike trust
Turnpike trusts in the United Kingdom were bodies set up by individual Acts of Parliament, with powers to collect road tolls for maintaining the principal highways in Britain from the 17th but especially during the 18th and 19th centuries...
road from Bolton to 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....
. The settlement was built as a model village
Model village
A model village is a type of mostly self-contained community, in most cases built from the late eighteenth century onwards by industrialists to house their workers...
for Fletcher, Burrows and Company
Fletcher, Burrows and Company
Fletcher, Burrows and Company was a coal mining company that owned collieries in Atherton, Greater Manchester, England. Gibfield, Howe Bridge and Chanters collieries exploited the coal mines of the middle coal measures in the Manchester Coalfield...
, owners of Atherton Collieries.
History
John Fletcher of Bolton, a family with mining interests came to Atherton in 1768 to sink two shafts. Ralph Fletcher was part owner in the Ladyshore CollieryLadyshore Colliery
Ladyshore Colliery, originally named Back o' th Barn, was situated on the Irwell Valley fault on the Manchester Coalfield in Little Lever, then in the historic county of Lancashire, England. Founded by Thomas Fletcher Senior, the colliery opened in the 1830s and mined several types of coal...
. The pits developed and the Fletcher, Burrows and Company
Fletcher, Burrows and Company
Fletcher, Burrows and Company was a coal mining company that owned collieries in Atherton, Greater Manchester, England. Gibfield, Howe Bridge and Chanters collieries exploited the coal mines of the middle coal measures in the Manchester Coalfield...
was formed in 1870. Howe Bridge Colliery
Howe Bridge Colliery
Howe Bridge Colliery was a coal mine which was part of the Fletcher, Burrows and Company's collieries at Howe Bridge inAtherton, Greater Manchester, then in the historic county of Lancashire, England....
employed 460 men in 1954.
In 1908 the Howe Bridge Mines Rescue Station
Howe Bridge Mines Rescue Station
Howe Bridge Mines Rescue Station was the first Mines rescue station on the Lancashire Coalfield openedin 1908 in Howe Bridge, Atherton, then in the historic county of Lancashire, England....
opened on Lovers Lane. It was the first mines rescue station in Lancashire.
Transport
The stationHowe Bridge railway station
Howe Bridge railway station, originally Chowbent station, is a closed railway station in Atherton, Greater Manchester. It was situated within the historic county of Lancashire.-History:...
at Howe Bridge was originally named Chowbent and, in common with other stations on the Manchester to Wigan Line
Manchester to Wigan Line
The Manchester and Wigan Railway refers to a railway in North West England, opened in 1864 and closed to passengers on 3 May 1969, which was part of the London and North Western Railway before the Grouping of 1923 ....
, was opened by the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
on 1 September 1864.
South Lancashire Tramways
South Lancashire Tramways
South Lancashire Tramways was a system of electric tramways in south Lancashire authorised by the South Lancashire Tramways Act of 1900. The South Lancashire Tramways Company was authorised by the act to build over of track to serve the towns between St Helens, Swinton, Westhoughton and Hulton...
built a tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
shed, power station and offices in 1901 on the north side of Leigh Road. It was taken over by Lancashire United Transport
Lancashire United Transport
Lancashire United Transport was a tram, bus and trolleybus operator based at Howe Bridge in Atherton, 10 miles north west of Manchester...
who built a bus depot on the south side Leigh Road on the site of the closed Howe Bridge Colliery pithead.
Religion
A school and mission was opened at Howe Bridge in Atherton parish in 1869. St Michael and All Angels ChurchSt Michael and All Angels' Church, Howe Bridge
St Michael and All Angels' Church, Howe Bridge, is located in Leigh Road, Howe Bridge, a suburb of Atherton, Greater Manchester, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Leigh, the archdeaconry of Salford and the diocese of Manchester...
was built in 1877 as a result of the late Victorian urbanisation which occurred when the small settlement on the road from Atherton to Leigh became a pit village when deep mining began at Howe Bridge Colliery
Howe Bridge Colliery
Howe Bridge Colliery was a coal mine which was part of the Fletcher, Burrows and Company's collieries at Howe Bridge inAtherton, Greater Manchester, then in the historic county of Lancashire, England....
. The church was designed by Paley and Austin of Lancaster
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
, and the £7,000 cost was given by John Fletcher.
Landmarks
Between 1873 and 1875, Fletcher, Burrows and Company, owners of the local collieries, built model village on Leigh Road, comprising terraced cottages, shops, Atherton Collieries Village Club, and a bath house for their employees. This Victorian village on either side of Leigh Road, together with St Michael and All Angel's Church, is a conservation areaConservation area
A conservation areas is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded...
.