69-408: Whelley is an area of northeast Wigan , Greater Manchester , England. Historically part of Lancashire , it is mainly a residential area, between New Springs and Scholes. In Whelley, there is Canon Sharples Church of England Primary School and Nursery, St Stephen's Church and a Labour club. Whelley also had its own (non-acute) hospital which specialised in rehabilitation of the elderly, and
138-403: A 100 to 95.7 female-to-male ratio. Of those over 16 years old, 28.9% were single (never married) and 45.0% married. Wigan's 34,069 households included 29.7% one-person, 38.9% married couples living together, 8.5% were co-habiting couples, and 10.8% single parents with their children. Of those aged 16–74, 38.5% had no academic qualifications , a figure significantly higher than the average for
207-476: A borough, Wigan was represented in the Model Parliament from 1295 to 1306 by two burgesses – freemen of the borough. The Charter allowed taxes to be made on transactions made in the borough by tradesmen and permitted the local burgesses to establish a guild that would regulate trade in the borough. Non-members of the guild were not allowed to do business in the borough without permission from
276-478: A dramatic economic expansion and rapid rise in population. Wigan became a major mill town and coal mining district; at its peak, there were 1,000 pit shafts within 5 miles (8 km) of the town centre. Coal mining ceased in the later 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 (1937), Orwell highlighted
345-562: A regeneration programme that began in 2006 to revitalise the area. Part of Wigan's industrial heritage, Trencherfield Mill was built in 1907 and is a Grade II listed building. It houses a steam engine over 100 years old which was restored with help from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The quarter is also home to the Wigan Pier Theatre Company, which was founded in 1986. The Face of Wigan, located in
414-576: A sixth of all collieries in Lancashire. In the 1830s Wigan became one of the first towns in Britain to be served by a railway ; the line had connections to Preston and the Manchester and Liverpool Railway . This was the first in a network of public and industrial railways which served the town during the period, much of which has since closed. Wigan began to dominate as a cotton town in
483-624: A sport to play during the winter months. During the rugby football schism of 1895, Wigan FC, along with the other leading northern clubs at the time, split from the Rugby Football Union to form the Northern Union . Wigan have been a rugby league club ever since and added the Warriors suffix to their name in 1997, shortly after rugby league had switched to a summer sport in 1996. The club are the most successful English club in
552-563: A walk of fame, "Believe Square", for local public figures and groups. Plans for the 18-storey Tower Grand , which would have been the tallest building in Wigan, were scrapped after the Financial crisis of 2007–2008 . The Galleries Shopping Centre , which houses shops as well as an indoor market, was bought for £8 million by the council in 2018 as part of a regeneration plan due to long-term decline. The former Westwood power station site
621-584: A year and used to host the Wigan One World Festival. Wigan's war memorial was unveiled in 1925. Designed by Giles Gilbert Scott and funded through public donations, the monument is now a Grade II* listed building and commemorates the fallen soldiers from the town in the First World War and other conflicts. In 2006, the plaques bearing the names of the dead were stolen; a year later they were replaced through council funding. There
690-487: Is 36 by 18 metres (118 by 59 ft) in size with stone walls and a tiled roof. It contained around nine or ten rooms including three with hypocausts . It had a colonnaded portico on the northern side, which presumably formed the main entrance. The structure's ground-plan and the presence of the hypocausts show it may have been a bath-house . A timber building excavated at the Joint Service Centre (top of
759-577: Is also a memorial on Wigan Lane which marks the site where Sir Thomas Tyldesley died in 1651 at the Battle of Wigan Lane. The former Wigan Central Library opened in 1878 and is now the Museum of Wigan Life . A one-year restoration programme began in 2009 costing £1.9 million. George Orwell used it to research The Road to Wigan Pier . As of 2019 , the Wigan Pier Quarter is at the heart of
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#1732801750662828-963: Is headquartered in the town. The bakery chain Galloways Bakers , and William Santus & Co. Ltd, the confectioner and producer of Uncle Joe's Mint Balls , are both based in Wigan. According to the 2001 UK census, the industry of employment of residents aged 16–74 was 22.4% retail and wholesale, 18.8% manufacturing, 10.2% health and social work, 8.6% construction, 8.0% property and business services, 7.4% transport and communications, 6.5% education, 5.2% public administration, 4.1% hotels and restaurants, 2.7% finance, 0.7% energy and water supply, 0.4% agriculture, 0.1% mining, and 4.8% other. Compared to national figures, Wigan had high rates of employment in retail and wholesale (16.9% in England) and manufacturing (14.8% in England), and relatively low levels of employment in agriculture (1.5%). The census recorded
897-467: Is no record that Lady Mabel was married to anyone other than Sir William Bradshaigh, and several facets of the story are incorrect. Haigh Hall was built in 1827–1840 on the site of a medieval manor house of the same name, which was demolished in 1820. The hall is surrounded by a 250-acre (101 ha) country park, featuring areas of woodland and parkland. The former town hall was a Grade II listed building. Designed by John McClean, Mesnes Park
966-538: Is not mentioned in the Domesday Book , possibly because it was included in the Neweton barony (now Newton-le-Willows ). It is likely that the mention of the unnamed church in the manor of Neweton is Wigan Parish Church and not the church of St.Oswald (Winwick) which is specifically named in the Domesday Book . The rectors of the parish church were lords of the manor of Wigan, a sub-manor of Neweton, until
1035-578: Is now Northern England . The Brigantes were subjugated in the Roman conquest of Britain and the Roman settlement of Coccium was established where Wigan lies. Wigan was 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 established by royal charter . The Industrial Revolution saw
1104-628: Is part of the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool . The Grand Arcade shopping centre was opened on 22 March 2007. Construction, which cost £120 million, started in 2005 on the site of Wigan Casino and The Ritz. The area around the pier is planned to be redeveloped, in a multimillion-pound project rebranding the area as the Wigan Pier Quarter . Plans for
1173-530: Is probably a Celtic place-name : it might be a diminutive form of Brittonic *wīg "homestead, settlement" (later Welsh gwig ), plus the nominal suffix -an has also been suggested (c.f. numerous places in France named Le Vigan ); the place name may refer to a Latin viccus . It has also been suggested directly a Celtic personal name Wigan , a name corresponding to Gaulish Vicanus , Old Welsh Uuicant or Old Breton Uuicon . Similar place-names to
1242-479: Is the only Scheduled Monument in Wigan itself, out of the 12 in Wigan Borough. It is a medieval stone cross that probably dates from the 13th century. There is a legend surrounding the cross that Lady Mabel Bradshaigh, wife of Sir William Bradshaigh, did penance by walking from her home, Haigh Hall , to the cross once a week barefoot for committing bigamy . There is no evidence the legend is true, as there
1311-593: The Battle of Preston . The soldiers looted the town as they retreated to Warrington, and afterwards, it experienced pestilence. Cromwell himself described Wigan as "a great and poor town, and very malignant". The Battle of Wigan Lane was fought on 25 August 1651 during the Third English Civil War , between 1,500 Royalists under the command of the James Stanley, Earl of Derby marching to join
1380-597: The Leeds and Liverpool Canal . The canal from Liverpool to Leeds was originally to serve Wigan on a spur, transporting cloth and food grown on the West Lancashire Plain to the Port of Liverpool. When construction restarted in the 1790s, after decades pause, as coal was rising in importance due to the progress of the Industrial Revolution. The route was altered at the request of mill owners, with
1449-703: 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. The town is part of the Manchester Larger Urban Zone . According to the Office for National Statistics , at the time of the 2001 United Kingdom census , Wigan had a population of 81,203. The 2001 population density was 11,474 inhabitants per square mile (4,430/km ), with
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#17328017506621518-556: The moot hall was rebuilt, funded by the members of the borough. It was used as the town hall and the earliest reference to it dates from the 15th century. Prior to its final destruction in 1869, the hall was rebuilt in 1829. Wigan's status as a centre for coal production, engineering and textiles in the 18th century led to the Douglas Navigation in the 1740s, the canalisation of part of the River Douglas and later
1587-620: The 12th century or turres Wiguen at Thaon (Calvados) and survives in the Norman surname Vigan (still in use in Calvados). There is very little evidence of prehistoric activity in the area, especially pre-Iron Age; however, Celtic names in the area around Wigan—such as Bryn , Makerfield and Ince —indicate that the Celtic people of Britain were active in the area in the Iron Age . In
1656-476: The 16th century, with Bishop Stanley unsuccessfully challenging the right of the burgesses to hold markets, believing it should be the right of the lord of the manor. In 1583 the corporation of the borough attempted to usurp the lord of the manor by laying claim to the lordship. They did so because they felt they were fulfilling the duties of the lord: to improve waste and common land and allowing construction on this land, running courts, and mining coal. A compromise
1725-514: The 19th century. Wigan was incorporated as a borough in 1246 following the issue of a charter by King Henry III to John Maunsell , the local church rector and lord of the manor. The borough was later granted another charter in 1257–1258, allowing the lord of the manor to hold a market every Monday and two annual fairs. The town is recorded on the earliest-surviving map of Britain, the Gough Map made around 1360, which highlights its position on
1794-479: The 1st century, the area was conquered by the Romans . The late 2nd-century Antonine Itinerary mentions a Roman settlement called Coccium 17 miles (27 km) from the Roman fort at Manchester ( Mamucium ) and 20 miles (32 km) from the fort at Ribchester ( Bremetennacum ). Although the distances are slightly out, it has been assumed that Coccium is Roman Wigan. Possible derivations of Coccium include from
1863-520: The English Wigan exist in France, such as Le Vigan, Gard ( Avicantus , Roman inscription ; Locus de Vicano 1050) of unknown origin and Le Vigan, Lot , from Latin vicanum , derived form of vicus "town" + suffix -anum , and the hamlets in Normandy such as (Le) Vigan ( L'Oudon , Calvados) and Manoir du Vigan that derive from a Celtic given-name *Wigan , found as feodum Wigani in
1932-591: The Gard department Le Vigan, Lot , in the Lot department Saint-Étienne-du-Vigan , previously called Vigan-d'Allier, in the Haute-Loire department People [ edit ] Robert Le Vigan (1900-1972), French actor Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Le Vigan . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
2001-597: The Isle of Man to secure his holdings there. The Earl of Derby was absent when Wigan fell, despite fortifications built around the town, Wigan was captured by Parliamentarian forces on 1 April 1643, the takeover was complete in two hours and the town was pillaged before the defences were broken down and the Parliamentarians retreated. In 1648, Royalist forces under James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Hamilton , occupied Wigan after they had been defeated by Oliver Cromwell at
2070-616: The King at Worcester and 3,000 of the New Model Army under the command of Colonel Robert Lilburne hunting them. Lilburne arrived at Wigan to find the Royalists leaving to march towards Manchester but with his force consisting mostly of cavalry recognised it would be dangerous to engage in the narrow lanes around the town and decided to wait for his foot soldiers to arrive and flank the town. The Royalists seeing an opportunity to engage
2139-514: The Latin coccum , meaning "scarlet in colour, scarlet cloth", or from cocus , meaning "cook". Over the years chance finds (coins and pottery) provided clear indications that a Roman settlement existed at Wigan, although its size and status remained unknown. In 2005 investigations ahead of the Grand Arcade development , and in 2008 at the Joint Service Centre development, have proven that Wigan
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2208-462: The Wallgate part of Wigan. 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 . As well as being a mill town, Wigan was also an important centre for coal production. It was recorded that in 1854 there were 54 collieries in and around the town, about
2277-579: The Wiend) has been interpreted as a barrack block. This suggests a Roman fort occupied the crest of the hill, taking advantage of the strategic position overlooking the River Douglas. The evidence gained from these excavations shows that Wigan was an important Roman settlement, and was almost certainly the place referred to as Coccium in the Antonine Itinerary. In the Anglo-Saxon period,
2346-579: The area was probably under the control of the Northumbrians and later the Mercians . In the early 10th century there was an influx of Scandinavians expelled from Ireland. This can be seen in place names such as Scholes —now a part of Wigan—which derives from the Scandinavian skali meaning "hut". Further evidence comes from some street names in Wigan which have Scandinavian origins. Wigan
2415-685: The borough along with the entirety of the county of Greater Manchester became one of 10 constituent councils of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority . Wigan is in the Wigan Parliamentary constituency , which was recreated in 1547 after having covered the borough in the late 13th century. From 1640 until the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 , the constituency returned two Members of Parliament (MPs); from then on it had only one. Since 1918,
2484-522: The borough as a whole and England. In 1931, 9.4% of Wigan's population was middle class compared with 14% in England and Wales, and by 1971, this had increased to 12.4% compared with 24% nationally. Parallel to this slight increase in the middle classes of Wigan was the decline of the working class population. In 1931, 38.7% were working class compared with 36% in England and Wales; by 1971, this had decreased to 33.5% in Wigan and 26% nationwide. The rest of
2553-411: The borough corporation bought the rights associated with the lordship. The Local Government Act 1888 constituted all municipal boroughs with a population of 50,000 or more as " county boroughs ", exercising both borough and county powers. Wigan accordingly became a county borough on 1 April 1889, giving it independence from Lancashire County Council. Ward boundaries were altered, and the county borough
2622-545: The burgesses. It is thought that when the Charter was reconfirmation in 1350 it was changed, allowing the election of a mayor of Wigan for the first time. Three burgesses were elected to be presented to the lord of the manor who would choose one man to be mayor for a year. There was a rivalry between the lords of the manor and borough. The lord of the manor complained in 1328 that the burgesses were holding private markets, from which he gained no revenue. The rivalry continued in
2691-555: The club colours. The Wigan accent has even been affected by the great number of Irish coming to the town. The local word "moidered", known elsewhere as " mithered ", is said to have derived from pronouncing the word mithered in an Irish accent. The Brian Boru Club in Ashton-in-Makerfield was established in 1889 and is the oldest Irish club in the UK. In 1911 the town was described as an "industrial town ... occupying
2760-508: The constituency has been represented by the Labour Party . Lisa Nandy is the incumbent Member of Parliament for Wigan, having first been elected in the 2010 general election . Wigan Council takes part in the town twinning scheme , and in 1988 twinned with Angers in France. At 53°32′41″N 2°37′54″W / 53.54472°N 2.63167°W / 53.54472; -2.63167 (53.5448, −2.6318), Wigan lies respectively to
2829-509: The divided force turned around to engage but Lilburne decided to hold his ground deploying cavalry on Wigan Lane and infantry in the hedgerows to the sides, The Royalists made several charges but after two hours were unable to break the Parliamentarian line and were forced to flee after being overwhelmed by superior numbers. Although Stanley was injured he managed to find refuge in the town. David Craine states, "those who did not fall in
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2898-434: The economic activity of residents aged 16–74, 1.9% students were with jobs, 2.9% students without jobs, 5.9% looking after home or family, 10.2% permanently sick or disabled, and 3.2% economically inactive for other reasons. There are 125 listed buildings in Wigan out of the 216 listed buildings in the wider borough with nine at Grade II* in the town. As well as being a Grade II* listed structure, Mab's Cross
2967-471: The fighting [were] hunted to their death through the countryside". A monument on Wigan Lane marks the place where Sir Thomas Tyldesley a Major General commanding the Royalist troops fell, it was erected 28 years after the battle in 1679 by Alexander Rigby, Tyldesley's standard bearer. Wigan was described by Celia Fiennes , a traveller, in 1698 as "a pretty market town built of stone and brick". In 1720,
3036-497: The greater part of the township, whilst its collieries, factories ... fill the atmosphere with smoke". After the Second World War there was a boom followed by a slump from which Wigan's textile industry did not recover. While the town's cotton and coal industries declined in the 20th century, the engineering industry did not go into recession. The last working cotton mill, May Mill , closed in 1980. In 1937, Wigan
3105-475: The late 19th century, and this lasted until the mid-20th century. Wigan, being almost equal distance from Liverpool and Manchester received high immigration rates of Irish people in the 1800s following the Great Famine (Ireland) . According to ‘Wigan World’ website, Wigan's population (including Ince and Pemberton townships) doubled from 39,000 in 1851 to 77,000 in 1881 with the immigration of Irish to
3174-503: The main western north–south highway with distance markers to Preston and Warrington . Edward II visited Wigan in 1323 in an effort to stabilise the region which had been the source of the Banastre Rebellion in 1315. Edward stayed in nearby Upholland Priory and held court in the town over a period of several days. During the medieval period Wigan expanded and prospered and in 1536, antiquarian John Leland described
3243-408: The majority of which was within the hundred of Newton . On 26 August 1246, Wigan was granted a Royal Charter, making the town a free borough. This happened after the granting of royal charters began in the 13th Century as a way of establishing corporations and defining their privileges and purpose. In Lancashire , Liverpool was granted in 1207, Salford in 1230 followed by Manchester in 1301. As
3312-551: The name Springfield Borough. The club is now defunct. Amateur rugby league is popular in the town, with Wigan St Patricks , Wigan St Judes and Ince Rose Bridge all playing in the National Conference League , the amateur game's top level. Le Vigan (disambiguation) (Redirected from Le Vigan (disambiguation) ) Le Vigan or Vigan may refer to: Places in France [ edit ] Le Vigan, Gard , in
3381-505: The poor working and living conditions of inhabitants in the 1930s. Following the decline of heavy industry , Wigan Pier's warehouses and wharves became a local heritage centre and cultural quarter. The Brick Community Stadium (formerly known as DW Stadium) is home to Wigan Athletic Football Club and Wigan Warriors Rugby League Football Club . The name of the town has been recorded variously as Wigan in 1199, Wygayn in 1240, and Wygan in numerous historical documents. The name Wigan
3450-519: The population was made up of clerical workers and skilled manual workers or other miscellaneous. The slow decrease in the working class goes against the trend for a steeper national decline, reinforcing the perception of Wigan as a working-class town. At the 2001 UK census, 87.7% of Wigan's residents reported themselves as being Christian, 0.3% Muslim, 0.2% Hindu, and 0.1% Buddhist. The census recorded 6.2% as having no religion, 0.1% had an alternative religion and 5.4% did not state their religion. The town
3519-428: The redevelopment of the area have been in place since 2006. Trencherfield Mill , at the centre of the pier development, has been refurbished and used for apartments and office space. The Wigan Life Centre south building opened on 19 September 2011, housing office accommodation for Wigan Council, Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust and NHS Ashton, Leigh and Wigan, Wigan Library and a swimming pool and fitness suite, with
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#17328017506623588-530: The south-east, and Liverpool , 17 miles (27 km) to the south-west. It is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town has a population of 107,732 and the wider borough of 330,714. Wigan is part of the historic county of Lancashire . Wigan was in the territory of the Brigantes , an ancient Celtic tribe that ruled much of what
3657-619: The sport, winning 24 league championships and 21 challenge cup titles, as well as being crowned world club champions on five occasions. The club currently play in the Super League . Liverpool Stanley were a professional rugby league club formed in the Highfield area of Wigan in 1902 as Wigan Highfield. The club didn't stay long in Wigan, however, relocating around England several times. Blackpool Borough briefly played in Wigan at Wigan Athletic's Springfield Park from 1987 to 1988 under
3726-438: The spur becoming the primary route and Wigan a hub for transport of coal from the Lancashire coal pits to Liverpool and Leeds. As a mill town , Wigan was an important centre of textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution , but it was not until the 1800s that cotton factories began to spread into the town. This was due to a dearth of fast-flowing streams and rivers in the area, but by 1818 there were eight cotton mills in
3795-603: The stadium upon its completion in 1999 from their former home, Springfield Park . The Warriors also moved into the stadium in 1999 from their previous home, Central Park . The 1,200-capacity multi-use Robin Park arena is located next to the DW Stadium. Rugby football has been played in the town since 1862. Wigan Warriors , originally called Wigan FC, were formed out of the Wigan Cricket Club in 1872 to provide
3864-557: The town centre since 2008, is a stainless steel sculpture of a face. Created by sculptor Rick Kirby , The Face stands at 18-foot-tall (5.5 m) and cost £80,000. The 25,138-capacity DW Stadium , originally called the JJB Stadium, is located in the Newtown area of Wigan and is shared by professional association football club Wigan Athletic with professional rugby league football club Wigan Warriors . The Latics moved into
3933-469: The town of Wigan has been divided between five of the twenty-five wards of the metropolitan borough, each returning three councillors to the 75-member borough council. The five wards are: Douglas, Pemberton, Wigan Central, Wigan West and Worsley Mesnes . The metropolitan council provides the local services. At the Norman Conquest, the settlement of Wigan was part of the larger parish of Wigan,
4002-508: The town the biggest factor. The Irish mainly settled in the central areas of the town such as Scholes and Ince with the area around Belle Green Lane referred to as Irishtown. St Patrick's church in Scholes was built in 1847 on the back of huge swathes of Irish immigration. The local amateur rugby league club Wigan St Patricks has the Irish shamrock on the club badge with green and black being
4071-618: The town, saying "Wigan paved; as big as Warrington and better builded. There is one parish church amid the town. Some merchants, some artificers, some farmers". In the English Civil War , most people in the town were Royalists and James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby , a prominent and influential Royalist in the civil war, made Wigan his headquarters. His forces successfully captured Preston but failed in assaults on Manchester and Lancaster and two attempts to capture Bolton. Abandoning attempts to secure Lancashire, he took his forces to
4140-549: The town. H. J. Heinz is amongst the largest food manufacturers in Europe. Their 55-acre (22 ha) food manufacturing facility in Wigan is the largest food processing facility in Europe. JJB Sports , a former nationwide sports clothing retailer, was founded in Wigan as a sports shop by John Jarvis Broughton (later JJ Bradburn) and was bought and expanded by businessman Dave Whelan . DW Sports Fitness another nationwide sports retailer and fitness business owned by Dave Whelan
4209-433: The west and north of Hindley and Ashton-in-Makerfield , and is about 16 miles (26 km) west of Manchester city centre and 12 miles (19 km) north of Warrington . 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
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#17328017506624278-467: Was a significant Roman site in the late first and second centuries AD. The excavated remains of ditches at Ship Yard off Millgate were consistent with use by the Roman military and possibly formed part of the defences for a fort or a temporary camp. More remains were excavated to the south, in the area of McEwen's Yard (opposite the baths), where foundations of a large and important building were discovered, together with many other Roman features. The building
4347-681: Was divided into ten wards, each electing one alderman and three councillors. The former area of Pemberton Urban District was annexed to the County Borough of Wigan in 1904, adding four extra wards to the borough. In 1974 the County Borough of Wigan was abolished and its former area became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan . The current Wigan Town Hall was opened by the Princess of Wales in November 1991. In April 2011,
4416-566: Was established in the area in 1948 by professional catch wrestler Billy Riley . It later moved to Aspull . This Greater Manchester location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Wigan Wigan ( / ˈ w ɪ ɡ ən / WIG -ən ) is a town in Greater Manchester , England, on the River Douglas . The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester , 16 miles (25.7 km) to
4485-433: Was opened in 1878; McClean was chosen to design the park through a competition. There is a pavilion in the centre and a lake. The Heritage Lottery Fund has donated £1.8 million to regenerate the park and Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council added £1.6 million to that figure. The pavilion and grandstand will be restored. The 20-acre (8.1 ha) Mesnes Park is north-west of Wigan town centre. It receives two million visitors
4554-439: Was part of the Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust. The hospital closed in 2009 and was demolished in late 2010. The site is currently being developed with numerous houses, flats and bungalows. In terms of local elections, Whelley is grouped with New Springs and Aspull, and is consistently a Labour supporting area, as with the majority of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan . Riley's Gym , popularly known as "the Snake Pit",
4623-433: 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. 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. Since 2004,
4692-434: Was reached, dividing some power between the two parties. Under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 , the town was reformed and was given a commission of the peace . The borough was divided into five wards with a town council of forty members: two aldermen and six councillors representing each ward. Rectors from the local parish church were the lords of the manor since records began until 2 September 1861. On this date,
4761-466: Was redeveloped in 2006 into the Westwood Park business park and features a large amount of Wigan MBC office space. However, plans for a £125 million 55-acre (22 ha) textiles centre on the site with 1,000,000 square feet (93,000 m ) of manufacturing and research space, in co-operation with the Chinese state-owned trading company Chinamex , fell through. The Tote chain of bookmakers has its headquarters in Wigan, providing about 300 jobs in
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