Turning pillars

Habergham Colliery was sunk by The Exors of John Hargreaves in 1868-70 and distributed its coal by cart until around 1900 when a chain ginney line was built to connect at Cornfield Colliery with the ginney to Padiham. This line incorporated a tunnel under Tipping Hill Plantation and a turning point at about half way. The colliery operated until 1941 when a shortage of labour cause Hargreaves Collieries to close the pit and transfer the men to their other workings.

Turning the direction of tubs on a chain hauled line was quite a complicated business involving the detaching of the tubs from the haulage chain before the change of direction and their reattachment afterwards. The operation was supposed to be automatic but there are many tales of problems which often necessitated a man being placed at the turn to supervise the operation. This image shows the remains of the turning pillars above Cornfield Farm. The substantial construction reflects the heavy loads and hard use to which it was put.