Wigan Pier facts for kids
Wigan Pier is a famous area in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. It's located near the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, a waterway that was very important for trade in the past. The name "Wigan Pier" often makes people smile because it sounds like a pier you'd find by the sea, but Wigan is actually far inland! This funny name has a long history.
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What Was the Original Wigan Pier?
The first "pier" in Wigan wasn't a seaside attraction at all. It was a simple wooden structure, like a jetty, used for loading coal onto barges. Wagons full of coal from nearby mines would tip their contents directly into boats waiting on the canal. This original wooden pier was taken down in 1929.
How Wigan Pier Got Its Funny Name
The story of how Wigan Pier became famous for its funny name goes back to 1891. A train heading to Southport (a seaside town) got stuck near Wigan. One passenger wondered where they were, and someone joked about being at "Wigan Pier."
At that time, there was a long wooden bridge, called a gantry, that carried a railway line over the River Douglas, the canal, and the main railway. This gantry was a huge structure! The famous comedian George Formby, Sr. helped make the joke popular in his shows. He even added that when he passed the "Pier," the tide was in, making fun of how low and sometimes flooded the area was.
Later, as the coal mines closed, the gantry disappeared. People then started to think the coal-tipping jetty on the canal was the "Wigan Pier" from the jokes. Songs like George Formby Junior's On the Wigan Boat Express and "The Ballad of Wigan Pier" also helped keep the funny idea alive.
Wigan Pier in a Famous Book
In 1937, the famous writer George Orwell wrote a book called The Road to Wigan Pier. This book talked about the tough living conditions of working-class people in England during that time. Orwell himself was a bit confused about the pier, saying he "had set his heart on seeing" it, but it had already been taken down.
Some people in Wigan are proud of this link to Orwell's book, even though it showed the difficult times. They say it helped make Wigan famous and brought tourists to the area. Others feel it suggests Wigan hasn't changed much since those hard times.
Orwell described the area around the canal as a "lunar landscape" with "slag-heaps" (piles of waste from mines) and factory chimneys. He said the canal path was muddy and cold, with "flashes" (pools of water) from old mines. Today, things are much different. The slag heaps are gone or covered with trees, factories are closed or turned into homes, and the canal is now used for fun activities like boating and fishing.
What You Can See at Wigan Pier Today
Even though the original wooden pier is gone, a replica (a copy) of the coal-tipping structure has been put up. It reminds people of the area's coal mining past.
- Old Warehouses: The former Wigan Terminus Warehouses were built a long time ago in the 1700s. Boats could actually go inside the building to unload goods! One of these, Gibson's Warehouse, built in 1777, is now called The Orwell at Wigan Pier.
- Museums and Attractions: In the past, there was a museum called "The Way We Were" at Wigan Pier. It showed what Victorian life was like, with things like a old school room and a reconstructed pub. This attraction closed in 2007.
- Trencherfield Mill: This used to be a large cotton mill, located across the road from Wigan Pier. It has been turned into fancy apartments, but it still has a huge working steam engine inside!
- Bridges: You'll find several bridges over the canal. Bridge #51 Pottery Changeline is a "roving bridge." This special type of bridge allowed horses pulling barges to cross from one side of the canal to the other without having to unhook their ropes.
- Elizabeth House: This building, located at The Pier, Wigan, is home to Keep Britain Tidy, a charity that works to keep the environment clean.
- Wigan Pier Nightspot: This was a very popular night club on the canal bank from the late 1980s until it closed in 2011.
The Future of Wigan Pier
Plans have been approved to make Wigan Pier even better! There are proposals for new homes, a special food hall with local artisan products, and spaces for events. This will help bring new life to this historic and unique area.
Images for kids
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On the right, the reconstructed Wigan pier
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The original terminus of the canal, completed 1777
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Gibson's Warehouse was built in 1777 and is now The Orwell at Wigan Pier
