Ashton’s Field

The story of Ashton’s Field is closely tied to Salford’s industrial heritage. Ashton’s Field Colliery was established during the second half of the nineteenth century and expanded significantly over the following decades, reaching its full extent by 1930. For many years, the colliery played an important role in Lancashire’s coal mining industry, providing fuel and employment for the local area. Following nationalisation in 1947, coal production gradually declined and mining operations ceased completely by the 1960s. The shafts were capped, buildings demolished, and the former industrial land was eventually restored to create the green space enjoyed today.

The site’s industrial history is also linked to one of Britain’s most significant waterways. Beneath Ashton’s Field runs an underground extension of the historic Bridgewater Canal, constructed in 1761 under the patronage of Francis Egerton, the 3rd Duke of Bridgewater and engineered by James Brindley. Built to transport coal from the Duke’s mines into Manchester, the canal helped reduce fuel costs and played a key role in driving the Industrial Revolution. Today, four striking blue lock gate sculptures located along the footpaths commemorate this hidden canal and the generations of miners who once worked beneath the landscape.