Worsley Mine

Worsley shaft does not feature prominently in the available documentation, which suggests it was not included in the mechanisation in the early 1800’s.

In British Mines No13, there is discussion of a mine field lease owned by Lady Bridgewater. She had decided not to develop the mines and was subject to complaints from the miners. The Duke of Devonshire’s agent stepped in to resolve the situation in the miners favour.

Worsley town is part of modern day Salford and was formerly a coal mining area owned by the Dukes of Bridgewater. Lady Bridgewater’s son was the 7^th Duke of Bridgewater, known as the Canal Building Duke. He is famous for building the Bridgewater Canal to move his coal and linking it into Manchester, the Mersey and the Leeds Liverpool canal. The NHS Trust in this area is the Bridgewater Trust and RHS Bridgewater is the grounds of the demolished home of the Dukes.

Therefore it would fit that the shaft was named after her Ladyship, given her families interests in mining. Alternatively British Mining No46 tells us that there were 3 smelters called Worsley, but it is unlikely they were important enough to give their name to a mine.

Worsley shaft was fenced by GMAG in Sept 2021 but has not yet been explored.