Friday 28th September, 2007
The Douglas Navigation and Leeds-Liverpool Canal
Before the mid 18th century the poor condition of local roads restricted the sale of coal in the Wigan area to local outlets, to where it was transported by pack horse or horse and wagon.
As early as 1712, a survey was conducted to investigate the possibility of making the River Douglas navigable and so extending the outlets for Wigan coal to the rapidly expanding industrial towns of Preston and Liverpool and on to international markets.
There were many delays before the Douglas was finally declared to be navigable in 1742. Coal could then be efficiently carried on small boats to Tarleton where the Douglas meets the River Ribble. It was then transferred to larger vessels for further transportation.
Local mining concerns, especially those on the Orrell Coalfield, began to construct "wag(g)on -roads" from their mines to the Navigation. There were at least 13 of these "railed ways" between Wigan and Appley Bridge - a distance of about 5-6 miles.
With the completion of the Leeds-Liverpool Canal between Liverpool and Wigan in 1774, many wagon-roads were extended over the river to the more efficient canal. Throughout the Wigan area, the navigation and the canal ran side by side in close proximity.
Wagon-Roads
The first rails were made of wood but later cast or wrought iron was used. Sleepers were made from stone blocks - one for each rail.
Although most of these early railways were closed by about 1840, several of them have left their mark on the landscape, mostly as pathways. The arch, where Hustler's wagon-road passed under the Wigan-Southport main line at Gathurst, can still be seen. A wide pathway through Dean Wood marks the former route of Blundell's railway.
Possibly more remains of Clarke's wagon-road than any of the others. This terminated at Crooke where the pier head is still discernable although it has been obscured by recent landscaping. A wide pathway, which is known as the "Gossips", marks the line of the railway further north, where it passes through Lamberhead Green. On a trackway under the M6 motorway bridge some of the stone sleepers could still be seen in situ in 1980.
"Yorkshire Horse"
In 1812, Robert Daglish, who was the enterprising manager of Clarke's collieries in Orrell, commissioned the construction of a steam locomotive of the Blenkinsop design. This amazingly farsighted development proved to be highly successful as the locomotive replaced fourteen horses at a time when fodder was becoming increasingly expensive.
The locomotive became known as the "Yorkshire Horse".