Wigan - looking down Market Street from the Market Place - on the left is the dome of the Queen's Hall facing the Galleries Shopping Centre across the street
Wigan's Market Place has been the hub of the town since medieval times.
Town motto, Ancient and Loyal. In the English Civil War it was the northern headquarters of the Royalist forces under the command of Lord Derby.
For centuries this open space was used for markets, bear baiting, here too stood the market cross and stocks.The Grand Arcade (right) completed in March 2007, now fills what was Station Road, home of the Wigan Casino,this "allnighter" dancing mecca was voted The Best Night Club In The World in the 70s.
Market Place looking towards Standishgate.
Narrow Coopers Row runs off Market Place and is typical of medieval street design for foot and hand cart transport...
.it leads to one of the oldest parts of Wigan, the Wiend area, just a few yards from the busy Market Place.
The John Bull Chop House in Coopers Row, was once three 17th cent cottages. Behind it is the Wiend which also leads on to the Market Place.
The Wiend, is one of Wigan's oldest streets. Thomas Beecham of Beecham Pills fame traded here before moving to St. Helens, and creating a multi national company.
The new town artwork - The Face of Wigan - by artist Rick Kirby in 2008, is just off Millgate.
Looking down Millgate to the Market Place. On the right is the modern side of the new Grand Arcade.
Also in Millgate, the rear of what was Wigan Mining and Technical College - now the Town Hall.
In its heyday rated one of the best mining colleges in the world - but then the Wigan coalfield produced 20% of Britain's coal. Now there are no mines in the Wigan area.
The Town Hall entrance is on Library Street, this is looking up towards the town centre.
Market Gate in the Market Place runs through to the Galleries Mall.
The ultra new Grand Arcade at the top of Standishgate. This now fills the space that was Station Road, location of the famous Wigan Casino. - and the Ritz cinema, where Buddy Holly performed in 1958.
Inside looking towards the Market Place.
The interior it is spacious and high.
Outside, pedestrian friendly Standishgate was once the main A49 road running north through the town centre.
Makinson Arcade (1897) is one of the oldest arcades in the town. Marks & Spencer had a stall here about 1900 and Wigan became the company's HQ when the new partnership was formed in 1894.
...the arcade takes you through to the Galleries - the open market, and the market hall.
One of the wonderful stained glass fan-lights above both ends of the arcade.
From the arcade we cross an open space to the Galleries - which opens out on to the traditional open market area...
The Galleries Italian style tower and clock....
.overlooks the traditional open market.
You then enter the new Market Hall, this replaced the old Victorian building (1877) when the Galleries were created in the 80s.
Redmans pork butchers, selling traditional Lancashire fare, is just one of a wide variety of stalls.
...here shoppers choose the best veg.
..from a wide choice of fruit and veg. stalls.
The Market Hall left - with the open market and Galleries ahead.
..or exit the market area onto Market street - on one side is the entrance to the bus station...
Wigan Bus Station.
..and across the road is the entrance to the Galleries.
Higher up Market Street you come to the Victorian tiled frontage of The Crofters Arms, on the corner of Hallgate, which we turn into.
In Hallgate we turn left behind the parked car past..
....Mr Chips fish & chip shop and into...
...the wonderfully named The King of Prussia Yard - and a small gateway into the grounds of the Parish Church
A look into Hallgate from the church gardens we see the Bricklayers Arms pub.
Wigan Parish Church of All Saints.
The parish church tower was heightened in 1861.
.Above a door at the base of the tower a plaque tells how, in 1643, during the Civil War..
..86 Royalist sharpshooters on the top of the tower held Cromwell's forces at bay
The War Memorial erected in 1925.
The war memorial,was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott - who, a year later, designed the iconic British red telephone box.
..like this one.
The grounds of the Parish Church- with the old law courts in the background.
This is the view if you come in through Church Gates from the Market Place.
The church entrance.
An exit on to Bishopgate and Crawford Street. The small building was the original Bluecoat School of 1773.
An ancient wall at the side of the church gardens. Note in the next picture how some stones are still blackened from the soot of Wigan's industrial past.
This building was here when Bonnie Prince Charlie stayed overnight at the nearby Walmsley House.. a local stately home...
...which stood where the dark building on the right is now -- he was heading back to Scotland after the failed rebellion of 1745...
.. the next night the Duke of Cumberland - hot in pursuit - used the very same accomodation.This is looking down the wider part of Hallgate, on the right what was the old clothing factory of Coop & Co.
The old Coop & Co. clothing works was created to provide work for young girls during the American Civil War when the town went through great hardship caused by the ban on imported American cotton. The building now provides accomodation for young people. It has 290 windows on its outer elevations.
Just around the corner is Dorning Street, the location of the famous Uncle Joe's Mint Balls factory, with its gable end sign seen by thousands of rail passengers passing through Wigan - it was built in 1919 at a cost of just £2000. Turn back now and turn right into King Street West which faces the Coops building...
..this will bring you to Wallgate, and Wigan Wallgate Station (1896) with trains to Manchester - Liverpool - Bolton and Southport. It replaced an earlier station opened in 1848 by the Lancashire and Yorks. Railway Co.
Across the road is Wigan North Western main line railway station - which is on the main West Coast Line to London and Scotland.
Walking back up Wallgate to the Market Place you pass the General Post Office.
..next door to the Last Orders pub - originally the Dog and Partridge - by the entrance to the Parish Church Gardens. The medieval town well and a set of stocks once occupied the space in front of the post office and pub.
Across the road is Rowbottom Square,original home of the Wigan Observer for over a 100 years. If we walk up to the Market Place and down Market Street we come to...
Wigan and Leigh College on Parsons Walk - the pit head winding wheel came from a colliery in Leigh.
This was the old Wigan Grammar School on Parsons Walk now converted into the Thomas Linacre NHS Outpatients Department.
Along Parsons Walk is a side gate into Wigan's Mesnes Park. The actor Sir Ian McKellan who played Gandolf in Lord of the Rings lived on Parsons Walk opposite the park as a schoolboy.
Feeding the ducks in Mesnes Park (pronounced Mains).
The Sir Francis Sharp Powell statue and behind it the elevated Park Cafe.
Sir Francis Sharp Powell was a Baronet and MP for Wigan
Generations of Wiganers have rubbed his shoe for luck - go on! - Give it a rub with your cursor - you never know!.
Just 200 yards from the centre of town ..
Wiganers are lucky to have so many green spaces like this and the church gardens in the town centre.
We walk back to the Market Hall and along Northway to where it crosses Standishgate.
Looking up Standishgate as it leaves the centre - on the right was the Convent School, further on is Mab's Cross, which Lady Mabel of Haigh Hall had to walk barefoot to as penance for remarrying, thinking her husband had died in the crusades - but 10 years later he returned....
..and slew the new husband at Newton - he and Lady Mabel lie side by side in Wigan Parish Church. We turn right past St. George's Church into the lower, leveler part of Standishgate,
..and back into the busy heart of Wigan
.. left is Crompton Street, and at the top of the hill, Market Place. Wigan is on a hill, hence its strategic importance to the Romans, who built a fort here, and gave the town its origin.
..in Crompton Street is Uncle Joe's Emporium. " What to choose?".
..because inside it is stacked with all manner of traditional sweets - as well as the world famous, super delicious, Uncle Joe's Mint Balls. "Uncle Joe's Mint Balls, keep you all aglow" goes the song..."give 'em to your granny and watch the beggar go"..etc
We carry on past Uncle Joe's shop and come to the Wigan Little Theatre - petite and charming.
It's first market charter was granted in 1245 - it is one of the 4 oldest boroughs in Lancashire. This is said to have been the mustering point for the Lancashire archers setting off for Agincourt.
No tour of Wigan would be complete without a visit to the Wigan Pier area.
Trencherfield Mill from the Wigan Pier area.
George Formby's father - also a great comedian - made Wigan Pier famous around the world.
Trencherfield Mill built in 1907, now being converted into apartments.
The Orwell at Wigan Pier.
Trencherfield Mill was used as the location for the TV series Clocking Off.
This is a photo of the town seen from Kitt Green, 3 miles to the west as the setting sun lights up the scene - left the JJB Stadium - centre the Parish Church with its flagpole. the sun reflects off the windows of the block of flats in Scholes just to the right. That's it - hope you enjoyed the tour. farrell1968@gmail.com
END OF TOUR - HOPE YOU ENJOYED YOUR VISIT. YOU CAN VIEW MY OTHER SLIDESHOWS OF THE COUNTRYSIDE AROUND WIGAN IN JIM'S GALLERY ON THE START PAGE.
