The field sand aerial ropeway that ran from the fields south and west of Rainford to the Rainford sandwash, whence the sand was transported by rail along the old St.Helens-Rainford Junction line (built 1857) to the "Top Works" (Pilkington Bros. Cowley Hill glassworks), where it was used in glass manufacture. One of the major reasons why the glass industry is (was?) located in the St. Helens district is that the "Sherdley Hill" sand west of the town is of a very high quality in that it has a very low iron content, which latter mineral would have caused a very green glass to be manufactured - quite unsuitable for flat, window glass but fine for beer bottles. Sherdley Hill sand is low in iron as its deposits are the result of sand being blown inland over the ages from the flat, west Lancashire coast that stretches between the Mersey and Ribble estuaries. The heavy iron deposits were left behind and inland deposits of iron-free sand suitable for the manufacture of window glass was the result.
To go back to the aerial ropeway at Ravenhead colliery, I too remember tales of daring-do off older boys who claimed to have ridden it up to the top of the rook. I clearly remember that ropeway, yet I have not met anybody (on the internet at least) who can back me up as regards its existence in the 1950s.
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pOb36's conversations
thanks!
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The field sand aerial ropeway that ran from the fields south and west of Rainford to the Rainford sandwash, whence the sand was transported by rail along the old St.Helens-Rainford Junction line (built 1857) to the "Top Works" (Pilkington Bros. Cowley Hill glassworks), where it was used in glass manufacture. One of the major reasons why the glass industry is (was?) located in the St. Helens district is that the "Sherdley Hill" sand west of the town is of a very high quality in that it has a very low iron content, which latter mineral would have caused a very green glass to be manufactured - quite unsuitable for flat, window glass but fine for beer bottles. Sherdley Hill sand is low in iron as its deposits are the result of sand being blown inland over the ages from the flat, west Lancashire coast that stretches between the Mersey and Ribble estuaries. The heavy iron deposits were left behind and inland deposits of iron-free sand suitable for the manufacture of window glass was the result.
To go back to the aerial ropeway at Ravenhead colliery, I too remember tales of daring-do off older boys who claimed to have ridden it up to the top of the rook. I clearly remember that ropeway, yet I have not met anybody (on the internet at least) who can back me up as regards its existence in the 1950s.
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Thanks, greetings from Russia.
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nice pic of rivvy from the big slacks in little hulton, is it true there gonna remove it ?
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