Once named Westalcton in a census of 1240, Westhoughton has a long and varied history. The town was involved in the English Civil War and there were battles in 1642 at Hart Common on Wigan Road and Warcock Hill west of Bolton Road. There have even been reports of sightings of ghosts in this area, one in particular being of an apparent re-enactment of the battle, though the witness was unaware of the history of the area. Many of the towns placeneames date from Saxon times, such as Lostock - "Tree On A River", Wingates formerly Win Thate or Win Yate - "Windy Gate" and Chequerbent from the Saxon and Old English Ceacca and Beonet roughly meaning "Hill of coarse grass". The town is situated four miles south west of Bolton and has at various times featured heavily in the textile and coal industries.
Although often mentioned only as a market town, Westhoughton has been the home of several Cotton Mills and Coal Mines. Maps of the area drawn during the 1800's show many Collieries, with some coal mines being operated in the 19th and mid 20th centuries. The Victoria Colliery at Rumworth (now the Barton Grange Garden Centre) in 1938 employed a hundred men, eighty-nine of which worked below ground. The story goes that the coal face there was so shallow, the miners could hear cows grazing in the fields above. In the photo below, the Winding Gear of the Pit can be seen on the top right. The picture dates from 1955.
One of the largest coal mines in the town was the Hulton Colliery, known locally as the Pretoria Pit. In December 1910 a methane explosion killed 344 men and boys, many from the same families. Very few of the surrounding areas were untouched by the disaster and a local relief fund was set up raising £145,000. There is a memorial to the victims of the disaster in Westhoughton Cemetary, which was erected by public subscription.
Hulton Colliery
Many of the placenames have changed over the years. What is now Bolton Road, which was the route directly into Bolton - long cut through by the M61 Motorway, was once called Cow Lee Lane. This led through the crossroads at Manchester Road up to Snydale Hill where the Water Tower (converted into a house some years ago) and Pumping Station were once situated. Trams ran from the terminus at the bottom of Market Street all the way into Bolton.
