The Railway Children

Many people in our Parish will perhaps remember a film showing “The Railway Children”, in which a group of children ran towards the rail-track to wave to relatives on the train. It was always pleasant to wave to passengers or even the driver.

I can clearly recall the rail track that had been constructed from Bugle Horn Coal Pit and Swan Lane Pit, through the fields to cross Atherton Road by the end of the long row of houses, ending near the present ’bus stop’. The line crossed the main road to connect the main line from Hindley Green Station and in the direction of Manchester. As a child I knew the driver of the pit train and always had a friendly wave from him.

The railway line passed between my uncle’s field and that of John Green – my late wife’s grandfather. The coalmine office had been built on John Green’s field. Coal wagons were shunted to the weighing machine and we were able to see the wagons by leaning over the fence. From this point the wagons were hauled along to cross Atherton Road, later to join the main line from Hindley Green Station towards Manchester.

Readers may be interested to learn that coal wagons were hauled along tracks to a sale yard almost opposite Barlows Nursery. Here the coal merchants filled bags with one hundred weight of coal for delivery to houses in the area.

On our way down Scowcroft Street we went on cycles to Hindley and Abram Grammar Schools and crossed the Railway line that led to Atherton Road Sales Yard.

By Fred Hardman

Some Changes on Hindley Green

Although most people on Hindley Green can now recognise me as an elderly man I can still visualise the original landmarks on Hindley Green. I have witnessed many changes but newcomers may find it hard to imagine many aspects of life here before the ‘39 – ‘45 war. Recently I met people who were surprised to learn that once down Swan Lane were two coal mines. One was Bugle Horn Pit and the other Swan Lane Pit. One of my Grandfather’s worked long hours in Swan Lane Pit while my other worked in the spinning department of the local cotton factory. Following the closure of Swan Lane Pit a cotton mill was built on the site. The rails from the pit to the main line were removed. Howarths cotton mill was built on the site of the mine and in turn became the site for Ingersol-Rand.

The houses on both sides of Johnson St and two other rows of houses were demolished and the land is now occupied by business premises. The waste from Swan Lane Pit was put on the land towards “The Lake” previously know as “The Clay Hole.” the waste heaps used to burn slowly, causing a very unpleasant and unhealthy smell in the Swan Lane area. During the miner’s strike in 1926 local people salvaged any useful coal from the waste heaps. The remaining waste was later removed and some of the reclaimed land is now used by Industrial Units.

Maple Avenue was formally called Scowcroft Street – a sign that this once led to Scowcroft Coal Mine. From this coal mine waste was carried in huge tubs by overhead wire system that had a bar to catch a lever on the tubs to cause the tub to let the waste drop out. In time huge cone-shaped heaps were formed but I am glad to write, these spoil heaps were later removed and water lodges (required in the days of steam engines) were filled in.

A cart track passed through “The Seven Turning’s” and boys attending Hindley Grammar School often used this track to cycle to school. The Rail line crossed this track on the way to Atherton Road, culminating near Barlow’s Nursery and taking wagons to a sales yard opposite Barlow’s.

I clearly recall my cycle journey to the Grammar School. A number of boys travelled together often meeting up near the rail line near “Coal Pit Lane,” before passing along the “Seven Turnings.” little did we think then that two of the scholars would be killed in the war, but such fate awaited Ronald Lofthouse and James Hurst. I believe that Harry Brown served in the Merchant Navy but I cannot be sure.

I do not have to remind you that at a later stage the Grammar School was abolished and the building put to different uses. We in Hindley Green were fortunate to have a football team playing in the Lancashire Combination League , a cricket team in the West Lancashire League and tennis courts and a bowling green – all this in the area from Long Lane to the factory (now a Supermarket). All this land was taken up by housing. Streets and roads such as Swan Lane were lit by gas (from Hindley Gas Works near the Town Hall.) Sandy Lane and Alder Lane were both unlit and unpaved when I was a boy. Children attending St John’s School and later the “Council” School played games on the field (no grass left), that today is part of Thomas Street. Hawthorn hedges formed the boundary. At a later stage the adjoining land became the football field used by local schools, but in turn a new school was built and iron rails formed the schools boundary. More houses were built and Thomas Street extended in a westerly direction.

The railway station was in Leigh Road and steep paths on either side of the line led to the platform, the Adult train fare from Hindley Green to Wigan cost Fourpence (old money) per adult. During my college days in Leeds I travelled to catch the train from Manchester when I had much luggage. As a teenager I paid 2s 4d to go to Morecombe on Saturday Evening. These through trains were usually full but young people were well behaved in those days. I recall that the trains arrived at the Promenade station and we used to walk along the sea front as far as Bare, rested a short time and then walked back to the station. I question whether today’s young people could or would walk so far for pleasure?

Life has changed considerably but memories survive and still it gives me pleasure to repeat these incidents in my memory of the train trips from Hindley Green Station.

By Fred Hardman