Everything about Wigan Pier totally explained
Wigan Pier is the name given today to the area around the
canal at the bottom of the Wigan flight of locks on the
Leeds and Liverpool Canal. It is a popular location for visitors and the local community in
Wigan,
Greater Manchester,
England, situated just a few hundred yards south-west of the town centre.
History
Leeds to Liverpool Canal
The pier
The original "pier" at Wigan was a coal loading staithe, probably a wooden jetty, where wagons from a nearby colliery were unloaded into waiting barges on the canal. The original wooden pier is believed to have been demolished in
1929, with the iron from the tippler (a mechanism for tipping coal into the barges) being sold as scrap.
Warehouse
Warehouse with covered loading bays, converted into a museum of Victorian life (often mistakenly thought to be Wigan Pier) and now the home to
The Way We Were.
Gibson's Warehouse
Gibson's Warehouse is a Victorian cotton warehouse, originally built in 1777, re-built in 1984 as
The Orwell at Wigan Pier, is situated on the canalside.
Bridges
Bridge #51 Pottery Changeline
This is a roving bridge, one which swaps the tow path from one side of the canal to the other, usually in such a way as to allow the horse pulling the barge to pass easily and without disconnecting its tow-rope.
Bridge #50 Seven Stars Bridge
Adjacent to the Seven Stars
public house, taking its name from "
The Plough" star constellation .
Former buildings
Row of terraced houses, demolished to make way for the new Elizabeth House.
George Formby
The name Wigan Pier was brought to popular attention by
George Formby (Senior) in the Music Halls of the early twentieth century and later by
George Formby Junior who also popularised Wigan Pier Others regard this connection as disappointing, considering it an insinuation that Wigan is no better now than it was at the time of Orwell's writing.
Present
The pier
The pier was at the end of a
narrow gauge tramway from a colliery. The wagons would be brought right to the edge of the canal to be tippled so that their contents went straight into the waiting barges. The original wooden pier is believed to have been demolished in 1929, with the iron from the tippler being sold as scrap. Because of the more recent pride in the area's heritage, a replica tippler, consisting of two curved rails, has been erected at the original location..
The attraction closed on 20 December 2007.
The Orwell at Wigan Pier
The Orwell at Wigan Pier is a pub, utilising a converted Victorian cotton warehouse (Gibson's warehouse) and original built in 1777, re-built in 1984, is situated on the canalside at the heart of Wigan Pier.
Trencherfield Mill
A former cotton mill, located across the road from Wigan Pier - currently being converted into luxury apartments.
Elizabeth House
Keep Britain Tidy is a
British campaign run by the ENCAMS environmental charity, which is part funded by the
U.K. government. The majority of their campaigning is around the issue of litter. They have been using 'Keep Britain Tidy' as their slogan for almost fifty years. ENCAMS is based on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, adjacent to the actual Wigan Pier, but opposite the visitor's centre.
Their address is ENCAMS, Elizabeth House, The Pier, Wigan WN3 4EX. Tidy Britain Group, as ENCAMS was previously known, was originally located in Trencherfield Mill.
Wigan Pier Nightspot
Wigan Pier Nightspot is a
night club on the southern bank of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The club plays music predominantly from the
bouncy techno genre.
Future
The area is set to undergo a further transformation with the development of a cultural "Wigan Pier Quarter" which will include a performance centre and retail outlets.
As of the end of 2007 "The Way We Were" closed, awaiting re-development.
In popular culture
Music
Various
George Formby songs.
TV
Film
Books
George Orwell's
The Road to Wigan Pier.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Wigan Pier'.
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