Pendleton Fault



The Pendleton Fault, sometimes called the Irwell Valley Fault, stretches for about 20 mi from Bolton in Greater Manchester along the Irwell Valley through Pendleton to Poynton in Cheshire, running northwest–southeast. The fault throws the beds of the Middle Coal Measures of the Manchester Coalfield by 1000 ft on its western side. The fault is active, and movement has caused earthquakes. An earthquake of intensity 6 on the Richter scale that occurred on 10 February 1889 was felt over an area of 2500 sqmi. Lesser shocks were recorded in the early 20th century, in 1931 and 1944. Coal mining in the Irwell Valley between Bolton and Pendleton may account for small movements, although all mines in the area closed in 1929 and no coal has been mined since.

In 2007 a swarm of six earthquakes felt across the region was attributed to the fault.