Visit Wigan Places

Welcome to Visit Wigan Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Wigan

  

Wigan Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Wigan

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Wigan history

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Etymology

The name Wigan has been dated to at least the 7th century . It has also been suggested that the name is Celtic, named after a person called Wigan . The name of the town has been recorded variously as Wigan in 1199, Wygayn in 1240 and Wygan in numerous historical documents .

Brigantes

There is very little evidence of prehistoric activity in the Wigan area, especially pre-Iron Age . Celtic names in the area around Wigan, such as Bryn, Makerfield and Ince, indicate that the Celtic people of Britain were active in the region in the Iron Age .

Romans

In the 1st century, the area was conquered by the Romans . Antonine Itinerary mentions a Roman settlement called Coccium 17 miles (27 km) from the Roman fort at Manchester (Mamucium) Coccium is Roman Wigan .

Anglo-Saxons

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”

Domesday Book

Wigan is not mentioned in the Domesday Book, possibly because it was included in the Neweton barony (now Newton-le-Willows) It is wrongly claimed that the mention of a church in the manor of Neweton, which actually refers to the church of St.Oswald (Winwick), is Wigan Parish Church . 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 . The borough was later granted another charter in 1257–1258 . Edward II visited Wigan in 1323 in an effort to stabilise the region which had been the source of the Banastre Rebellion .

Civil War

The Battle of Wigan Lane was fought in August 1651 during the Third English Civil War . It was fought between 1,500 Royalists under the command of the James Stanley, Earl of Derby and 3,000 of the New Model Army . The Royalists were unable to break the Parliamentarian line and were forced to flee after being overwhelmed by superior numbers .

Industrial Revolution

Wigan was a centre for coal production, engineering and textiles in the 18th century . As a mill town, it was an important centre of textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution . In 1854 there were 54 collieries in and around the town, one sixth of Lancashire’s coal pits . Wigan became one of the first towns in Britain to be served by a railway .

20th century

In 1911 the town was described as an “industrial town … occupying 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 . The town’s cotton and coal industries declined in the 20th century .

Wigan culture & places

Wigan was the birthplace of The Eight Lancashire Lads a dancing troupe who gave Charlie Chaplin his professional debut. Wigan Casino rose to prominence in the 1970s, and in 1978 was named “best disco in the world” by Billboard, an American music magazine. The Verve were 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) Since 1986, Wigan has hosted an international jazz festival.

Wigan landmarks

Mab’s Cross is the only Scheduled Monument in Wigan, out of the 12 listed buildings in the wider borough. The museum of Wigan Life (formerly Wigan Central Library) opened in 1878. The 20-acre (8.1 ha) Mesnes Park receives two million visitors a year and used to host the Wigan One World Festival. Wigan Pier Quarter is at the heart of a regeneration programme that began in 2006.

Wigan geography / climate

Wigan lies to the west and north of Hindley and Ashton-in-Makerfield, and is about 12 miles (19 km) west of Manchester city centre and 10 miles (16 km) north of Warrington. The historic town forms a tightly-integrated conurbation along with the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan districts. 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.

You can visit Wigan places with Walkfo Wigan to hear history at Wigan’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Wigan has 58 places to visit in our interactive Wigan map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Wigan, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Wigan places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Wigan & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 58 audio facts unique to Wigan places in an interactive Wigan map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Wigan Places Map
58 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Wigan historic spots	Wigan tourist destinations	Wigan plaques	Wigan geographic features
Walkfo Wigan tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Wigan

  

Best Wigan places to visit

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Wigan has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Wigan’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Wigan’s information audio spots:

St Mary’s Church, Lower Ince St Mary’s Church is in Warrington Road, Lower Ince, Ince-in-Makerfield, Wigan. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Wigan, the archdeaconry of Warrington and the diocese of Liverpool.

Old Town Hall, Wigan The Old Town Hall was a former municipal facility at the corner of King Street and Rodney Street in Wigan, England. The building, which was designated a Grade II listed building in 1990, was demolished in September 2013.

Wigan Town Hall The new Town Hall is a former technical college in Library Street, Wigan, England which was converted into a municipal facility in 1990. It is a Grade II listed building.

Mesnes Park, Wigan Mesnes Park is a Victorian public park dating from 1878 in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The elongated 12 hectares (30 acres) park lies to the north-west of Wigan town centre. It comprises formal flower beds in grass lawns, a pool, children’s playgrounds, mini golf, sports grounds and a café.

St John’s Church, Wigan St John’s Church is a Roman Catholic Church in Standishgate, Wigan, Greater Manchester. It is within 200 feet of another Catholic church, St Mary’s. Construction on both churches, was done in a spirit of competition so they both were finished in the same year, 1819.

St Mary’s Church, Wigan St Mary’s Church is a Roman Catholic Parish church in the Standishgate area of Wigan, Greater Manchester. It was built in 1818 and is a Grade II* listed building.

Mab’s Cross Mab’s Cross, in Wigan, Greater Manchester, is a stone cross probably dating from the 13th century. It is one of four stone crosses originally used as waymarkers along the medieval route from Wigan to Chorley. The cross was moved across the road in 1922 as part of a road widening scheme.

Royal Albert Edward Infirmary The Royal Albert Edward Infirmary is located in Wigan Lane, Wigan, Greater Manchester. It is managed by the Wrightington and Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust.

St Jude’s Church, Wigan St Jude’s Church is a Roman Catholic Parish church in the Worsley Mesnes area of Wigan, Greater Manchester. It was completed in 1965 and is a Grade II listed building in the Modernist style.

Visit Wigan plaques