This video is called the Black cat mystery. Its an industrial story about a Boulton and Watt beam pump engine. On the banks of the river Irwell at Mount Sion works, Radcliffe North Manchester. Here we find an old Boulton & Watt beam pumping engine that used to pump mine water in a Colliery in The Lancashire coal field. The Mine was called the Black Cat colliery. The Boulton & Watt engine was re purposed to be water powered as it started life as a steam pumping engine. In order to understand the story we must understand some of the history of the Manchester/ Lancashire coal field. The coal field around Cocky Moor in Radcliffe north Manchester was drained by a mine drainage sough or tunnel. This sough was called the Cocky Moor culvert. Our journey takes us along the banks of the river Irwell and finally we find a heritage Boulton & Watt pumping engine. The last of its kind. This is a story about the history of Manchester and the history of Lancashire mining and the Lancashire coal field.
