Lancashire Mining Museum

A free-entry heritage museum on the site of the former Astley Green Colliery, on the edge of Chat Moss beside the Bridgewater Canal. The main attraction is the surviving pit headgear, one of the last on the Lancashire coalfield, and the winding house that holds a large steam winding engine. Visitors can join informative tours or explore at their own pace, and the exhibits and immersive displays bring the mining past to life for children as well as adults. The collection includes narrow-gauge colliery locomotives, and the site hosts seasonal family events such as a Santa train and a bonfire and fireworks evening. The museum is run by volunteers and is open to all, so it suits families who enjoy history, machinery or trains. It is best treated as a relaxed visit of an hour or two rather than a full day out, and the site has open grounds around the buildings.