Bedford was a rural community until the arrival of the
Bridgewater Canal; a large basin built at Butts in 1795 proved to be a catalyst for the development of industry in the township.
Coal however had been got from small pits in the northeast of the township. Wood End Farm was an area of Bedford with many old small coal pits including Milner's Pit which was working in 1853. John Speakman began sinking two shafts south of the railway line in 1874, and by 1876 coal was being produced. The shafts were deep and reached the
Crombouke mine. In 1883 No. 2 shaft was deepened to to access the
Seven Foot mine and to to access the
Trencherbone mine. Three years later No. 1 shaft was deepened to reach the
Arley mine, at . Speakman's Sidings between
Tyldesley Station and
Bedford Leigh Station were provided after 1882. Speakman's built a private mineral railway line about a half mile in length to Guest Street, where there was a landsale yard and from where coal was sent to Bedford Mill. The line served a brickyard and smokeless fuel plant. In 1896 Bedford Colliery employed 366 men underground and 108 surface workers. Household and manufacturing coal was got from the Crumbouke,
Six and Seven Foot mines. Speakmans sank No. 3 pit between 1913 and 1916. After 1929 the colliery became part of Manchester Collieries and its railway was connected to the
Astley and Tyldesley Collieries railway system between
Nook and
Gin Pit collieries. Manchester Collieries made improvements including new headgear and screens. The colliery became part of the
National Coal Board in 1947. It closed in 1967 having employed 518 underground and 131 surface workers. ==Disaster==