Gin Pit: The Archaeology of a Coal-Mining Settlement

Gin Pit near Tyldesley is a fine example of a small industrial settlement on the Manchester Coalfield. It developed from the mid-nineteenth century to serve the rapidly expanding coal trade that fuelled the massive industrial expansion of the region. The early history of the colliery at the heart of Gin Pit is poorly documented, although financial investment during the 1860s enabled a significant expansion of mining activity. An important complex of workships was added to the site by the Astley & Tyldesley Collieries Company at the turn of the twentieth century, providing repair and engineering facilities for several of the Company's coal mines. This booklet presents the historical development of this fascinating industrial settlement, and summarises the archaeological works that were undertaken at Gin Pit Colliery by Oxford Archaeology North in 2005-7.