Wigan - world famous in Orwell's book
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We first visited Wigan in the 2009, and these was an era of the years of New Labour government in the UK so the Northern towns and cities got a boost of money with many redevelopments. The Face of Wigan sculpture was a symbol of those changes in and around Greater Manchester.
We started our second trip to Wigan at the all-important stadium - home of Wigan Athletic FC and Wigan Warriors RLFC, football and rugby teams, that make the fame for the local name. As you can see from the architecture - it has been completed in the era of the New Labour as well, in the 1999. The opening ceremony was held by no other than sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United most successful.
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| DW STADIUM |
The statue is of Dave Whelan, the former Wigan Athletic owner, unveiled in 2016, three years after they won the FA Cup.
From the stadium we headed for the famous Wigan Pier.
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Wigan Pier, on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, was made famous by George Orwell and his book The Road to Wigan Pier. Nothing to be proud of, though - it basically described the tough and rough working and living conditions in the 1930s.
We wondered if Wigan and all the similar towns will be left behind in their sombre existence, producing homelesness, drug abuse and domestic violence. The times seem tough again.
Along the canal there are reminiscences of those hard times in a form of downtrodden statues. They do make a horrible impression. If you want a live horror experience, invite a person who has never been there, at dusk, to meet the half headed men glazing over the canal...
Wigan Pier's warehouses were restored in the 1980s as cultural quarter and heritage centre. There was a famous pub and a waterbus but is seems like the Wigan Pier is undergoing another set of decline years.
Next onto the station(s), a commune links and what should be a welcome sign for any town. In case of the railway station and its surrounds it was rather a depressive sight. Mind you, the weather was lovely, so it did not look so coarse.
The main street, Wallgate, and Marker Place remember the former Victorian glory. Two below photos are from 2009. There were number of Peruvian busker all around Europe at that time, and we met a band in Wigan.
All Saint Church is Grade II listed building, the oldest parts date back to 13th century, rebuilt in the mid 19th century.
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The Face of Wigan is made from hundreds of reflective steel panels. It supposed to mirrors people passing by.
The Galleries shopping centre adopted from original market place in the 1970s and redeveloped in almost every decade with mixed luck. It was owned by the council, than sold to a private investor but after years of decline it was bought again by local authorities. Its fate was certainly struck by the latest Covid lockdowns as many high street retailers decided to close down.
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| The Galleries |
On our previous trip we encountered the Roman remains in Wigan.
We found this small alley leading to the Wiend as the most charming place in Wigan. Cosy pubs and cafeterias.
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| Roman bath house |
Whether it is still in such a good condition, we do not know. The Roman fort at Wigan, known as Coccium, was built around the year 70.
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| Marketgate & Grand Arcade Shopping Centre Grand Arcade (above), a shopping centre, built in 2007, looks impressive from the outside. We did not enquire inside. |
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There are many beautiful yet derelict and abandoned buildings in Wigan. Sad look, when those on the main street lack window panes. There is a spirit of art in Wigan, though. The Wigan Arts Festival, with its headquarters next to the All Saint Church, organises a two week street entertainment, usually over the July-August. So if you are around why not to pop-in? |
