Have a peak at our industrial heritage

This week scenes shot at Astley Green Colliery took centre stage much to the delight of volunteers at the mining venue.

Earlier in the year a television crew also descended on Eckersley Mills, in the Pier Quarter, to film scenes for episodes of the fourth series which are yet to be seen on our screens.

On Wednesday fans of the show saw smoking chimneys at the Lancashire Mining Museum which were added post production to give a wonderful atmospheric setting to the magnificent headgear at the colliery.

To make it even better after visiting the site earlier in the year, Alan Shaw the programme’s set dresser and designer, hdecided to join the Astley group as a volunteer.

Mr Shaw is now currently leading the team refurbishing the old museum into an old miner’s cottage and tea room and will also be designing a new underground experience in the future.

A spokesman for the mining group said: “He is already making a massive difference to the site and we thank him for his support.”

When film crews arrived in Wigan in the summer they were working on a pursuit scene involving two 1920s vehicles driving around the mill. Actor Cillian Murphy, who plays Tommy Shelby in the series, was seen working on the set.

The action was watched by Eric Lloyd, director of KMS Motorsport, which is based near the mills on Swan Meadow Industrial Estate.

He said: “It was good. I have watched the video and it’s transformed what we see every day and taken it back in time.”

He was particularly interested in the vintage vehicles used for the scenes.

He said: “It was interesting to see all the cars. Obviously that’s our forte. Some of the old cars had wooden floors and I was quite taken aback by it.”

Mr Lloyd is now eagerly waiting to seeing the scenes from Eckersley Mills as part of the programme.

This week’s episode can be viewed on BBC catch-up for the next 28 days and don’t forget to watch out for the Wigan scenes in weeks to come.