Wigan

Wigan is a large town in the north-west of England, which between 1974 and 1986 formed part of the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester. Although traditionally lying in the historic and geographic county of Lancashire. It is the biggest town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, with a population of around 300,000. The nearest major town is Bolton, and it is roughly equidistant to Preston, Liverpool and Manchester.

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Origins

The first people reported to have settled in the Wigan area were the Brigantes. The Romans took over ?Chochion?, as it was then known, in around 79 AD during one of many wars with the Celts and renamed the settlement ?Coccium?. The Romans left some time in the 5th century.

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By the time of the Middle Ages, Wigan had become a constituent manor of the Barony of Makerfield, and received its Royal Charter from King Henry III in 1246 when it was made into a Borough in its own right. Its new status as a Royal Borough is reflected in the insignia of the town Coat of Arms.

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The earliest incorporation of the Town is actually mentioned in the report of the Norry King of Arms in 1613, that "The Towne and Bourrough of Wiggin was antiently incorporated by the most noble Kinge, Kinge Hen, the first, in the first year of his raygne," i.e. the year 1100. If so, this would make the borough the oldest in Lancashire, and one of the oldest in the country.

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How the town got its name is mysterious, although we know that it was named after 1086 (it is not mentioned in the Doomsday Book). Some suggest the name is old Welsh Gwigan, meaning settlement whilst others attribute the name to Saxon English or Viking.

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Industry

Wigan was once important for coal mining and cotton textile production. The Leeds-Liverpool canal was used extensively to transport local produce. In 1818 William Woods introduced the first power looms to the Wigan cotton mills. These mills swiftly became infamous for their dangerous and unbearable conditions, low pay and use of child labour. After the 1914-18 war there was a boom followed by a slump from which Wigan's textile industry did not recover. The last working cotton mill, the May mill, closed in 1980.

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The novel Rose by Martin Cruz Smith is centered around the Victorian era coal mining in Wigan.

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Wigan Pier

Wigan is probably most famous for its pier, once an important loading/unloading building for the mills and collieries, now a popular local museum and nightclub. Wigan Pier is certainly most famous for its connection to George Orwell and his novel The Road to Wigan Pier.

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The town has a complex relationship with this association. Sometimes embracing it, the Orwellian link has provided the area with a modest tourist base over the years. However, most regard the insinuation that Wigan is in fact no better now than it was as the Victorian era slum with objection and frank hostility. A recent TV documentary about Orwell visited Wigan, and made the facile comparison to less-affluent areas such as Platt Bridge, commenting that not much had changed (see chav or scally). This was met with widespread local disapproval.

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England: :For an explanation of often confusing terms like England, (Great) Britain and United Kingdom see British Isles (terminology)....

Greater Manchester: Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in England established in 1974 which covers an area roughly encompassing the conurbation of Manchester. It is situated in North West England....

Lancashire: Lancashire (archaically, the County of Lancaster) is a county palatine of England, lying on the Irish Sea. Its name is sometimes abbreviated to Lancs. Its traditional county town is Lancaster, but the county council is based at Preston. Areas previously administered by the County Council came u...

Wigan related Images and Photos (experimental)

Terraced Houses in Wigan - 1961