By James Mutch

January 14, 2018 - Plans are afoot to save the last surviving headgear on the Lancashire, England Coalfield.

Representatives from the Lancashire Mining Museum in Astley Green met with Historic England chiefs on Wednesday to highlight the need for its headgear to be repaired.

An old photograph of the An old photo of Astley Green Colliery and its headgear

The scheduled monument of historic importance nationally has fallen into a state of disrepair.

The museum representatives are now putting a case forward for funding from Historic England to prevent the headgear from collapsing.

They are also planning to set up a crowdfunding page to help pay for repair work.

Trevor Barton, chairman of trustees at the former Astley Green Colliery site, said: “The headgear is getting worse with every passing winter.

“The site is very important to everyone who comes to visit the museum and that is why we are doing this.

“We have the last surviving headgear on the Lancashire Coalfield and we want to keep it standing for the people.

“It has not had that much love given to it for the past 20 years but hopefully we can find a way of putting that right.”

The headgear’s state of disrepair was highlighted in July when three children were photographed climbing up and down it after getting over spiked railings.

Three children dangerously playing on the dilapidated headgear in July

At the time museum bosses said the children had ‘put their lives at serious risk’.

“The headgear is totally unsafe and in many areas the handrails are missing,” a spokesman said.

“The steel is also so thin in places that areas which look ok are totally unsecure.”

The colliery at Astley Green dates back to 1908, with coal first extracted from the former pit four years later.

Its headgear, winding house and winding engine are all now scheduled monuments and English Heritage grade II listed structures.