THE FLETCHER BURROWS COMPANY

The Fletcher family built and developed the village of HOWE BRIDGE in the 1870s and used the model village concept that  “ An improved environment and Society  was an important influence in moulding character “  and that Health,  Care and Religion were the foundations of building a safe, friendly and hospitable community.

The architectural detail { OF DUTCH DESIGN } in the construction of the dwellings within Howe Bridge provided a visual sense of identity and singularity which resulted in the development of the village and pride in the community.

The village was the first to be built by the FLETCHER BURROWS COMPANY for company employees and included,  HOUSES,  CHURCH, SCHOOL,  VILLAGE COMMUNITY HALL,

And A PUBLIC BATH HOUSE. The workers and their families were of paramount importance to the Fletcher family and an excellent welfare system was introduced by the mine owners.

The Fletcher Burrows company  owned Coal Mines and Cotton Mills in Atherton, with coal mines being a part of the history and heritage of Howe Bridge.

Howe Bridge, Gibfield and Chanters exploited the coal mine seams of the middle coal measures in the Manchester Coalfields.

The “ Old Endless Chain Pit “ was one of the first on Lovers Lane and

The largest of the early pits owned by the Fletchers which eventually became the Howe Bridge Collieries were also on Lovers' Lane Colliery which lasted until 1898 and the Eckersley Fold pits. The Crombouke Day-Eye, a drift mine or adit dates from the 1840s when a drift was driven into the Crombouke and the Brassey mines at a gradient of 1 in 5.[nb 1] The Crombouke and Eckersley Fold pits closed in 1907. The company sank the deep mines of Howe Bridge Colliery in 1845. Three shafts were sunk to the Seven Feet mine, the Victoria pit where coal was wound at 447 feet, the Puffer for pumping water at 435 feet and the Volunteer,

The “ Old Endless Chain Pit “ was one of the first on Lovers Lane and

The largest of the early pits owned by the Fletchers which eventually became the Howe Bridge Collieries were also on Lovers' Lane Colliery which lasted until 1898 and the Eckersley Fold pits. The Crombouke Day-Eye, a drift mine or adit dates from the 1840s when a drift was driven into the Crombouke and the Brassey mines at a gradient of 1 in 5.[nb 1] The Crombouke and Eckersley Fold pits closed in 1907. The company sank the deep mines of Howe Bridge Colliery in 1845. Three shafts were sunk to the Seven Feet mine, the Victoria pit where coal was wound at 447 feet, the Puffer for pumping water at 435 feet and the Volunteer, the upcast ventilation shaft.[16] Howe Bridge Colliery was taken over by Manchester Collieries in 1929 and were then Nationalised in 1947 when they became part of the NATIONAL COAL BOARD but, it was closed in 1959.

Howe Bridge Colliery was a coal mine which was part of the Fletcher, Burrows and Company's collieries at Howe Bridge in Atherton, Greater Manchester, then in the historic county of Lancashire, England.[1][2]

The Fletchers owned several small pits which eventually became the Howe Bridge Collieries. In 1845 Howe Bridge Collieries owned by John Fletcher[3] sank three deep shafts to the Seven Feet mine, the Victoria pit where coal was wound was sunk to 447 feet, the Puffer for pumping water to 435 feet and the Volunteer, the upcast ventilation shaft.[4] These last three pits were taken over by Manchester Collieries, became part of the National Coal Board in 1947 and closed in 1959.[5]