Andrew Knowles acquired the lease of coal under the Agecroft estate in 1823 and his colliery is shown on an 1830 plan alongside the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal not far from old workings near Park House Bridge.
The colliery's screens and surface buildings were modernised in the early 1890s[1] and No 3 and No 4 shafts were sunk to 700 yards to the Trencherbone mine starting in 1894[2] and continuing into 1900.
[5] Andrew Knowles and Sons was merged into Manchester Collieries in 1929 and Nos 1 and 2 pits closed the following year.
Nos 3 and 4 pits closed in July 1932 but the shafts were retained for pumping to drain nearby collieries.
The colliery was situated between Agecroft Road (A6044), Dell Avenue and the Manchester to Bolton railway line.
The colliery's main customer was the Central Electricity Generating Board’s Agecroft Power Station close to the River Irwell.
Coal was transported directly to the power station via an enclosed conveyor belt on a bridge over Agecroft Road (A6044).
Swinton RLFC plans to build a 6,000-seat stadium on land immediately east of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal between Agecroft Road and the prison.