Wigan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Wigan | |
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  Wigan shown within Greater Manchester |
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| Population | 81,203 (2001 Census) |
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| OS grid reference | |
| - London | 176 miles (284 km) SE |
| Metropolitan borough | Wigan |
| Metropolitan county | Greater Manchester |
| Region | North West |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | WIGAN |
| Postcode district | WN1-WN3, WN5, WN6 |
| Dialling code | 01942 |
| Police | Greater Manchester |
| Fire | Greater Manchester |
| Ambulance | North West |
| European Parliament | North West England |
| UK Parliament | Wigan |
| List of places: UK • England • Greater Manchester | |
Wigan is a large town in Greater Manchester, England.[1] It stands on the River Douglas, 16.5 miles (26.6 km) west-northwest of Manchester, 15 miles (24.1 km) south of Preston and 17.4 miles (28.0 km) east-northeast of Liverpool. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. Wigan had a total population of 81,203 in 2001.[2]
Historically a part of Lancashire, Wigan's early history is marked by its status as a territory inhabited by the Brigantes, an ancient Celtic tribe. Wigan is believed to have been incorporated as a borough in 1246 following the issue of a Charter by King Henry III of England. At the end of the Middle Ages it was one of four boroughs in Lancashire possessing Royal charters, the others being Lancaster, Liverpool, and Preston.
During the Industrial Revolution Wigan experienced dramatic economic expansion and a rapid rise in the population. Although porcelain manufacture and clock making had been major industries in the town, Wigan has since become known as a major mill town and coal mining district.[3] The first coal mine was established at Wigan in 1450 and at its peak there were 1,000 pit shafts within 5 miles (8 km) of the town centre.[citation needed] Mining was so extensive that one of its town councillors once remarked that "a coal mine in the backyard was not uncommon in Wigan".[4] Coal mining ceased during the latter part of the 20th century.
Wigan Pier, a wharf on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, was made famous by the writer George Orwell. In his book, The Road to Wigan Pier, Orwell highlighted the poor working and living conditions of the local inhabitants during the 1930s. Following the decline of industrial activities in the region, Wigan Pier's collection of warehouses and wharfs has become a local heritage centre and cultural quarter.
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[edit] History
[edit] Toponymy
There are two theories for the meaning of Wigan (IPA: /ˈwɪgɨn/) as a place-name. One theory is that it is Celtic, named after a person called Wigan;[5] this would be a personal name place-name, e.g. Stevenston in Ayrshire. This may have been linked with Tref (meaning homestead) to give an original name of TrefWigan.[5] It should be noted that gwig in Welsh signifies 'forest.' Either way, if the name is of Celtic origin, the Proto-Celtic form must have been *Wikanio-. This looks very much like an augmented form of the Proto-Celtic word *wika- meaning 'fight.' So the toponym *Wikanio- may have denoted 'battlefield.' Whatever the case, this Proto-Celtic form would have developed into *Vicaniom in Romano-British Brittonic. There is, however, no place in Wales with the name Wigan, the closest being Lledwigan which isn't recorded until the 14th century.[6] Other sources suggest the etymology is from Old English wig / wiga 'warrior' or wicga 'insect', althoough this is not supported by most written records[citation needed]. The name was recorded as Wicgen in 1286.[citation needed] In total, half a dozen explanations have been recorded by the former Wigan chief librarian, Arthur J Hawkes.[7] It is also possible that the name is cognate with Welsh wig hen, meaning "old fort", referring to the Roman vicus of Coccium.
[edit] Early history
The first people believed to have settled in the Wigan area were the Brigantes living in Chochion.[5] The Antonine Itinerary mentions a settlement by the Romans in the general vicinity, which was renamed Coccium around 79 AD, following one of many wars with the Celts .[8] Whilst there is evidence of Roman activity in Wigan, namely coins being found during construction work[8] and more recently a hypocaust system discovered during the construction of the foundations for a new shopping centre in the town centre,[9] there is no conclusive evidence of Wigan being on the same site as Coccium.[8]
Wigan is not mentioned in the Domesday Book, possibly because it was included in Neweton (now Newton-le-Willows).[10] The traditional date given for the incorporation of Wigan as a borough is 1246 following the issue of a Charter by King Henry III.[10] The earliest incorporation of the town is actually mentioned in the report of the Norroy 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,".[11]
[edit] English Civil War
The Battle of Wigan Lane was fought on August 25, 1651 during the Third English Civil War,[12] between Royalists under the command of the Earl of Derby and elements of the New Model Army under the command of Colonel Robert Lilburne. The Royalists were defeated, losing nearly half their officers and men. The Earl of Derby, as Lord of Mann, had enlisted ten men from each parish in the Isle of Man; 170 in total. David Craine states, "those who did not fall in the fighting [were] hunted to their death through the countryside."[13]
A monument, on Wigan Lane, stands in memory of Sir Thomas Tyldesley who was killed at the Battle of Wigan Lane.[14]
[edit] Industrial Revolution
As a mill town, Wigan was an important centre of textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution. The Leeds-Liverpool Canal was diverted from its original planned course, at the request of the mill owners, to transport coal from the Lancashire coal pits to Wigan's mills and was also 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 second world 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. The novel Rose by Martin Cruz Smith is centred around the Victorian era coal mining community in Scholes, a predominately poor Irish Quarter and is contrasted by conditions of the ruling local lord of the manor, based somewhat on The Earl of Balcarress of Haigh Hall, near Wigan.
In 1937, Wigan was prominently featured in George Orwell's The Road to Wigan Pier which dealt, in large part, with the living conditions of England's working poor. Some have embraced the Orwellian link, as it has provided the area with a modest tourist base over the years.[15] 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.[16]
[edit] Governance
Wigan was historically part of the hundred of Newton, later becoming part of the West Derby Hundred. The ancient parish of Wigan All Saints contained a number of townships which formed separate civil parishes from 1866.
Wigan was one of the few industrial towns of the 19th century to have already received a charter as a borough. It was reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835, and was one of the boroughs to be granted the status of county borough by the Local Government Act 1888, giving it independence from Lancashire County Council. The former area of Pemberton Urban District was annexed to the County Borough of Wigan in 1904. In 1974 the County Borough of Wigan was abolished and its former area transferred to form part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan.[17]
Wigan is in the Wigan Parliamentary constituency. It is part of the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool.
[edit] Geography
The historic town of Wigan forms a tightly-integrated conurbation along with the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan districts of Orrell and Ince-in-Makerfield, this is connected by ribbon development to Standish and Abram. These areas, together with the West Lancashire town of Skelmersdale, are defined by the Office for National Statistics as the Wigan Urban Area, with a total population of 166,840.[18]
[edit] Economy
Business connections to the town include:
- H. J. Heinz manufacturers of Heinz Baked Beans and the fictitious "57 varieties". Heinz are amongst the largest food manufacturers in Europe. Their 55 acres (22 ha) site in Wigan is the largest food processing facility in Europe.[19]
- JJB Sports, nationwide sports clothing retailer
- Wm Santus & Co. Ltd, producer of Uncle Joe's Mint Balls.
- The Tote
- Girobank
[edit] Landmarks
- Wigan Pier Experience on the banks of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal which includes the Trencherfield Mill Engine a working mill steam engine.
- Haigh Hall (Country Park)
- Wigan Parish Church.
- JJB Stadium
- Wigan War Memorial.
- Mab's Cross.
- Trencherfield Mill & Steam Engine.
- Wigan & Leigh College Pit Winding Wheel.
- Wigan Town Hall.
- Wigan Market Hall.
- Uncle Joe's Mint Balls Factory.
- Wigan Market Square.
- Mesnes Park.
- Wigan Pier.
- The Grand Arcade
- Whitley Woods
[edit] Education
Wigan is home to a number of colleges of Further Education including Winstanley College and Wigan and Leigh College which offers a wide range of courses in vocational and academic subjects. Schools include St Peters High School, Deanery High School and St. John Fisher Catholic High School.
[edit] Regeneration
Wigan is currently in the midst of a large regeneration project with the 'Grand Arcade' shopping complex, which opened 22 March 2007, being the largest current development. The area around the pier is currently being developed into the “Wigan Pier Quarter” with the redevelopment of Trencherfield Mill as an office and residential building being at the forefront of the development. A hotel, numerous bars and art studios are also set to the feature, although plans for a new theatre look to be doomed because of spiralling costs. Other developments in the pipeline include a new swimming baths, central library, childrens library and local government services "Hub" to be built on the same site as the current baths, library and Wiend which are to be demolished, a new 18 storey tower block, which will include 15,000 sq ft (1,400 m²) of retail and leisure units, 35,000 sq ft (3,300 m²) of offices and 150 apartments, called "Tower Grand", which will be located next to the Grand Arcade. There are also plans to develop the old town hall, which has been in a state of decay for many years. Wigan Council granted planning permission for a new residential, business and leisure development on the site of the former police station in October 2007.[citation needed]
The former Westwood power station site which was transformed recently into the Westwood Park business park[20] and features a large amount of Wigan MBC office space will be further transformed by the creation of a 55 acre textiles centre in co-operation with the Chinese state owned trading company Chinamex at a cost of £125m. Up to 1m square feet of manufacturing and research space will be created along with an estimated 1000 jobs and 3000 in the wider economy[21] . Chinamex which represents 70% of the Chinese textiles industry and has 6300 member companies will in addition offer space in the development to member companies for up to 2 years at a time to allow the establishment of a British subsidiary before moving on to dedicated premises.
[edit] Culture
[edit] Music
Wigan has been well known for its popular music since the days of George Formby Snr and George Formby Jnr. It was the birthplace of The Eight Lancashire Lads a dancing troupe who gave the young Charlie Chaplin his professional debut. One member of the troupe was a John Willie Jackson, The "John Willie" to whom George Formby would often refer in his songs. Local bands that gained wider repute include The Verve, The Railway Children, Witness, The Tansads, Limahl of Kajagoogoo and (more recently) Starsailor. The Verve are one of the most important British rock groups of the 1990s, finding success in the UK and abroad (even touring on the USA's famous Lollapalooza alternative rock festival). The band was formed when the members met at Winstanley College in 1989. They held their most famous homecoming gig at Haigh Hall, Wigan on 24 May 1998.
From 1973–1983 Wigan Casino was the location for Wigan's weekly Northern Soul all-nighters. This was the inspiration for the 1989 dance record Wigan by Baby Ford.
Wigan remains a centre of popular music for young people, with a number of alternative pubs/clubs in the town centre. The town also has a music collective which exists to promote the scene and help out local musicians and bands. They host weekly gigs at The Tavern and also host various other activities such as the annual Haigh Hall Music Festival, which attracted around 7,000 guests in 2007. The Collective also offers recording sessions and gig advice for young musicians.[22] Throughout the early 1990s The Tudor House Hotel was a popular venue for up and coming bands – situated just at the back of the bus station.
[edit] "Pie-eaters"
Wigan is home to the annual World Pie Eating Championship, usually held at Harry's Bar on Wallgate, Wigan. The competition has been held since 1992. In 2007, a vegetarian version was added.[23] Wiganers are usually proud to be called pie-eaters, but the nickname is not thought to be because of their appetite for the delicacy. The name is said to date from the 1926 General Strike when Wigan miners were starved back to work before their counterparts in surrounding towns and were forced to eat "humble pie." [24][25]
[edit] Transport
[edit] Roads
Wigan lies on the meeting point of two primary A roads, the A49 and A577 which link to the M6, M61 motorway and M58 motorway. Increased traffic in recent years, encouraged by retail development, has resulted in very congested main roads for most of the day. This situation is linked to the town's geography, with river valleys and railway lines impeding road improvement.
[edit] Railways
There are two railway stations in Wigan town centre. These are located virtually across the street from each other in Wallgate, on the southern fringe of the town centre.
- Wigan North Western is located on the electrified north-south West Coast Main Line.
Virgin Trains provides express trains to London Euston, Birmingham, Lancaster, Carlisle, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Northern Rail has trains to Preston and Blackpool and a regular local service along the line to St Helens and Liverpool Lime Street.
- Wigan Wallgate serves lines running east and west from Wigan.
Northern Rail provides trains to Southport and Kirkby (with connections to Liverpool Central and the Merseyrail system). A frequent local service also operates to Bolton and Manchester (Victoria and Piccadilly), with most trains from Wigan continuing through to other destinations such as Manchester Airport, Stockport, Oldham and Rochdale. Pemberton railway station serves the Pemberton area of the town.
[edit] Buses
A network of local buses, co-ordinated by Greater Manchester PTE and departing from the bus station in the town centre, serves Wigan and district. Wigan bus station is also served by National Express long distance services.
Since deregulation and privatisation of the bus industry in the 1980s and 1990s, a number of different companies have operated in the area. At present the two larger national operators are:
- First Manchester, which operates routes generally to the north-east, east and south-east of the town, including buses to Leigh, Bolton and Manchester.
- Arriva, which operates north and west of Wigan to Bolton, Chorley, Leigh, Preston, Skelmersdale, Southport, St Helens and Warrington.
South Lancs Travel and Skelmersdale based "Hoppa Shoppa" also provide numerous services around the borough.
[edit] Canals
Wigan is on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and is epitomised by Wigan Pier. There is also a branch of the canal from Wigan to Leigh, with a connection to the Bridgewater Canal which links Wigan to Manchester.
[edit] Sports
Wigan's main sporting clubs are Wigan Athletic (football) and Wigan Warriors (rugby league) both of which share the JJB Stadium. For most of the 20th century, Wigan RLFC's ground was Central Park which stood alongside the River Douglas in Wigan. It was the scene of many Lancashire Cup Finals, Challenge Cup Semi-Finals, international games and test matches. Springfield Park was the former home of Wigan Athletic FC between 1932 and 1999. Prior to this the ground was home to Wigan Borough (1919-31), Wigan Town (1905-08), Wigan United (1901-03) and Wigan County (1897-1900). Wigan Rugby League used the ground during the 1901-02 season and Springfield Borough RLFC did the same in the late 1980s. Orrell R.U.F.C. are the town's rugby union team and enjoyed slight success, just missing out on promotion to the Zurich Premiership in the 03/04 season but suffered a steep decline in recent years and have since fallen into the status of an amateur club and now play their home games at St John Rigby's College. Wigan RLFC use former home ground, Edge Hall Road for training, under-18 and Senior Academy games.
During the 1980s and 1990s Wigan RL enjoyed unprecedented success becoming arguably the best team in the world. The team's success, however, has declined since the introduction of the Super League salary cap. A poor start to the 2006 Super League season resulted in the sacking of Ian Millward as coach, and prompted the hiring of Bradford Bulls coach Brian Noble. Noble made some shrewd signings including Stuart Fielden from his former club for a world record transfer fee and quickly made himself a firm fan's favourite. With Noble at the helm, the Warriors won nine of their last thirteen matches, avoiding relegation, and finishing 8th in the league table. Whilst striving to recapture the success of the 80s and 90s, the Wigan club is slowly getting back onto it's feet. A sixth place finish in the 2007 season saw them into the play-offs where they were the winning team in what has been labeled "The greatest comeback in Super League history", beating the Bradford Bulls 31-30 at Odsal after being 30 points to 6 down at one point. After that, Wigan travelled to Headingley Stadium to face the Leeds Rhinos for the chance to play St. Helens at Old Trafford for the Super League title. Wigan were beaten by the eventual champions Leeds but their playoff run managed to instill a new found optimism within the supporters for the next season, an optimism that has been well-placed as the team currently sit 2nd in the league with 11 games played.
Wigan Athletic were elected to the Football League only in 1978 and had little success for many years, but they have recently gained promotion to the F.A. Premier League and the 2005–2006 season was their first ever in the top flight. The team was in the top half of the table for the entire season, finishing tenth, and made it to the League Cup Final in February 2006, where they were beaten by neighbours Manchester United.
Wigan has an international-standard swimming pool in the town centre, built to exact Olympic standards, but never used for official Olympic sanctioned competition. The resident swimming club, Wigan Wasps, which has now changed its name to Wigan BEST,[26][27] has produced Olympic standard swimmers, including medal winner June Croft.
Wigan staged motorcycle speedway racing at two different venues. Poolstock Stadium was the home of Wigan Warriors who raced in the National League Division two in 1947 and a short open season in 1960. Woodhouse Lane Stadium was used briefly in the early 1950s.
Wigan is home to Billy Riley's Snake Pit, a prominent professional wrestling school that is reputed as one of the toughest in the world, basing itself on traditional catch as catch can wrestling to build ring-tough performers.
[edit] Notable people
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This section does not cite any references or sources. (January 2007) Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
People who were either born or brought up in Wigan, or have had some significant connection with the town during their life, include:
[edit] Arts and entertainment
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[edit] Business
[edit] Politics
Brian Simpson Member of the European Parliament [edit] Sport
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[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Anon (2003-07-31). A select gazetteer of local government areas, Greater Manchester County (http). Greater Manchester County Records Office. Retrieved on 2007-07-09.
- ^ KS01 Usual resident population: Census 2001, Key Statistics for urban areas (line 674). Office for National Statistics.
- ^ Frangopulo, N. J. (1977). Tradition in Action: The Historical Evolution of the Greater Manchester County. EP Publishing, Wakefield, 139. ISBN 0715812033.
- ^ Wigan County Borough Council (1972). The County Borough of Wigan: Official Handbook.
- ^ a b c Celtic Wigan. Wigan Archaeological Society.
- ^ Hawkes, Arthur J.. Outline of flue History of Wigan.
- ^ a b c COCCIUM. www.roman-britain.org.
- ^ Roman Wigan. Wigan Local Archaeological Society.
- ^ a b Medieval Wigan. Wigan Archaeological Society.
- ^ entry for Wigan. Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales.
- ^ Report of Wigan Lane by Robert Lilburne
- ^ Craine, D. (1995). Manannan's Isle. The Manx Museum and National Trust. ISBN.
- ^ Sir Thomas Tyldesley's Regiment of Foote.
- ^ Vallely, Paul. "On the road again", The Independent, 30 April 2003. "It seems funny to celebrate Orwell for highlighting all our bad points, but Wigan wouldn't be anywhere near as famous without him," says the Wigan Pier Experience's manager, Carole Tyldesley. "In the end George Orwell has proved to be a strong marketing tool."
- ^ Vallely, Paul. "On the road again", The Independent, 30 April 2003. "What he wrote still colours people's views of Wigan... But if Wigan is going to grow it's got to leave Orwell behind and sell all that."
- ^ Youngs, Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Volume 2.
- ^ Table KS01 - Usual resident population - Census 2001. Office for National Statistics.
- ^ Heinz Canning Plant Energy Efficiency Expansion. Food Processing Technology. Retrieved on 2008-04-05.
- ^ http://www.wigan.gov.uk/News/Archive/December2006/westwood.htm
- ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/02/17/cnwigan117.xml
- ^ The Wigan Music Collective: Information. Retrieved on 2007-07-27.
- ^ Pie-eating championship goes slimline | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited
- ^ [http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/health/s/1017898_pie_eaters_urged_to_get_fit Pie Eaters urged to get fit] Retrieved on 2008-04-17
- ^ Pie eaters steam over new rules Retrieved on 2008-04-17
- ^ Wigan Wasps Website.
- ^ Wigan BEST website.
- ^ "Whelan sells stake in JJB Sports", BBC News, 8 June 2007. Retrieved on 2008-03-31.
[edit] Twin towns
Wigan is twinned with:
[edit] External links
- www.littlewigan.co.uk, Little Wigan.
- www.wigantoday.net, - Wigan Observer, Wigan Recorder, Wigan Evening Post.
- www.wiganworld.co.uk, Wigan World.
- www.wiganarchsoc.co.uk, The Wigan Archaeological Society.
