NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Wigan

Coordinates: 53°32′41″N 2°37′55″W / 53.5448, -2.6318 Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Red_pog. ... Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England which has a population of 2. ... UK Census 2001 logo A nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001. ... The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... A modern compass card. ... The districts of England are a level of subnational division of England used for the purposes of local government. ... The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan is a Metropolitan Borough of Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. ... Metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties are one of the four levels of English administrative division used for the purposes of local government. ... Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England which has a population of 2. ... The region, also known as Government Office Region, is currently the highest tier of local government subnational entity of England in the United Kingdom. ... North West England is one of the nine regions of England. ... Constituent countries is a phrase used, often by official institutions, in contexts in which a number of countries make up a larger entity or grouping; thus the OECD has used the phrase in reference to the former Yugoslavia[1], the Soviet Union and European institutions such as the Council of... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() â€“ on the European continent() â€“ in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto)1 Government Constitutional monarchy - Monarch Queen Elizabeth II... This is an alphabetical list of the sovereign states of the world, including both de jure and de facto independent states. ... A post town is a required part of all UK postal addresses. ... UK postal codes are known as postcodes. ... The WN postcode area, also known as the Wigan postcode area,[1] is a group of postal districts in North West England that are sub-divisions of three post towns. ... The UK telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Numbering Plan, is regulated by the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which replaced the Office of Telecommunications (Oftel) in 2003. ... Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is the Home Office police force responsible for policing the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester, in North West England. ... A Fire Appliance belonging to the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service The fire service in the United Kingdom has undergone dramatic changes since the beginning of the 21st century, a process that has been propelled by a devolution of central government powers, new legislation and a change to operational... The Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service is the county-wide emergency fire & rescue service for the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester, England. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust was formed on 1 July 2006 as part of Health Minister Lord Warners plans to reduce the number of NHS ambulance service trusts operating in the United Kingdom to 12. ... The United Kingdom House of Commons is made up of Members of Parliament (MPs). ... Wigan is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... This is a list of Members of the European Parliament for the United Kingdom in the 2004 to 2009 session, ordered by name. ... North West England is a constituency of the European Parliament. ... List of cities in the United Kingdom List of towns in England Lists of places within counties List of places in Bedfordshire List of places in Berkshire List of places in Buckinghamshire List of places in Cambridgeshire List of places in Cheshire List of places in Cleveland List of places... This is a list of cities, towns and villages in the county of Greater Manchester, England. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England.^[1] With a total population of 81,203,^[2] Wigan is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan. Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England which has a population of 2. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() â€“ on the European continent() â€“ in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto)1 Government Constitutional monarchy - Monarch Queen Elizabeth II... The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan is a Metropolitan Borough of Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. ...

Historically part of Lancashire, Wigan is a former industrial centre for textile manufacture, having experienced rapid growth during the Industrial Revolution. The historic counties of England are ancient subdivisions of England. ... Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... Amoskeag Canal, 1948, by Charles Sheeler A mill town is a community that grew up around one or more mills or factories, usually on a river that was used as a source of power in the days before electricity. ... With the establishment of overseas colonies, the British Empire at the end of the 17th century/beginning of the 18th century had a vast source of raw materials and a vast market for goods. ... The Industrial Revolution was a major shift of technological, socioeconomic, and cultural conditions that occurred in the late 18th century and early 19th century in some Western countries. ...

Wigan is roughly equidistant from the cities of Manchester, Preston and Liverpool, and is neighboured by the towns of Leigh, St Helens, Bolton, Chorley and Warrington. This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ... Preston, a city and local government district in Lancashire, England, is located on the River Ribble. ... Location within England Coordinates: , Sovereign state United Kingdom Constituent country England Region North West England Ceremonial county Historic county Merseyside Lancashire Admin HQ Liverpool City Centre Founded 1207 City Status 1880 Government - Type Metropolitan borough, City - Governing body Liverpool City Council Area - Borough & City 43. ... Leigh is a town in Greater Manchester, in north west England. ... For the larger local government district, see Metropolitan Borough of St Helens. ... Bolton is a large town in the north-west of England. ... , Chorley Library Chorley is a market town in Lancashire, England, south of Preston and at the foot of the West Pennine Moors and home to the Chorley cake. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

History

Toponymy

There are two theories for the meaning of Wigan as a place-name. One theory is that the name is a Celtic one named after a person called Wigan;^[3] 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.^[3] 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.^[4] However, other sources suggest the etymology is from Old English wig / wiga 'warrior' (not meaning the same as modern English wig) or wicga 'insect', which 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 a former Wigan chief librarian.^[5] It is also possible that the name is cognate with Welsh wig hen, meaning "old fort", referring to the Roman vicus of Coccium. The Celtic languages are the languages descended from Proto-Celtic, or Common Celtic, a branch of the greater Indo-European language family. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Anthroponym. ... Stevenston is a town in North Ayrshire, Scotland. ... Ayrshire (Siorrachd Inbhir Ã€ir in Scottish Gaelic) is a region of south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... The Proto-Celtic language, also called Common Celtic, is the putative ancestor of all the known Celtic languages. ... Romano-British is a term used to refer to the Romanized Britons under the Roman Empire (and later the Western Roman Empire) and in the years after the Roman departure exposed to Roman culture and Christian religion. ... The Brythonic languages (or Brittonic languages) form one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic language family. ... This article is about the country. ... Old English (also called Anglo-Saxon[1], Old English: ) is an early form of the English language that was spoken in parts of what is now England and southern Scotland between the mid-fifth century and the mid-twelfth century. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Librarian, a 1556 painting by Giuseppe Arcimboldo A librarian is an information professional trained in library science and information science: the organization and management of information and service to people with information needs. ... In the history of the Roman empire, a vicus (pl. ...

Early history

The first people believed to have settled in the Wigan area were the Brigantes^[3] living in Chochion. The Antonine Itinerary mentions a settlement, in the general vicinity, by the Romans^[6] which was renamed around 79 AD following one of many wars with the Celts to Coccium. Whilst there is evidence of Roman activity, namely coins being found during construction work^[6] and the most recent finding, a hypocaust system discovered during the construction of the foundations for a new shopping centre in the town centre,^[7] there is no conclusive evidence of Wigan lying on the same site.^[6] The Brigantes were a British Celtic tribe which lived between Tyne and Humber. ... The Antonine Itinerary is a Latin document that can be described as the Road Map of Roman Britain. ... Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ... Look up war in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the European people. ... Ruins of the hypocaust under the floor of a Roman villa. ...

Wigan is not mentioned in the Domesday Book, probably as it was included in Neweton (now Newton-le-Willows).^[8] The traditional date given for the incorporation of Wigan as a borough is 1246 following the issue of a Charter by King Henry III.^[8] 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,".^[9] A line drawing entitled Domesday Book from Andrew Williamss Historic Byways and Highways of Old England. ... Location within the British Isles. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... Henry III (1 October 1207 â€“ 16 November 1272) was crowned King of England in 1216, despite being less than ten years of age. ... The Colleges own arms were granted in 1484. ...

English Civil War

The Battle of Wigan Lane^[10] was fought on August 25, 1651 during the Third English Civil War, 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^[11] states, "those who did not fall in the fighting [were] hunted to their death through the countryside." The Battle of Wigan Lane was fought on August 25, 1651 during the Third English Civil War, between Royalists under the command of the Earl of Derby and elements of the New Model Army under the command of Colonel Robert Lilburne. ... is the 237th day of the year (238th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Events January 1 - Charles II crowned King of Scotland in Scone. ... The Third English Civil War (1649â€“1651) was the third of three wars known as the English Civil War (or Wars) which refers to the series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place between Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1652 and include the First English Civil War... James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby (1607-1651), sometimes styled the Great Earl of Derby, eldest son of William, 6th Earl, and Elizabeth de Vere, daughter of Edward, 17th Earl of Oxford, was born at Knowsley on the 31 January 1607. ... The New Model Army became the best known of the various Parliamentarian armies in the English Civil War. ... Colonel Robert Lilburne (1613â€“1665), was the older brother of John Lilburne, the well known Leveller, but unlike his brother who severed his relationship with Oliver Cromwell, Robert Lilburne remained in the army. ... James Stanley, 7th Earl of Derby (1607-1651), sometimes styled the Great Earl of Derby, eldest son of William, 6th Earl, and Elizabeth de Vere, daughter of Edward, 17th Earl of Oxford, was born at Knowsley on the 31 January 1607. ... The Lord of Mann is the current ruler of the Isle of Man. ...

A monument, on Wigan Lane, stands in memory of Sir Thomas Tyldesley who was killed at the Battle of Wigan Lane.^[12] The Battle of Wigan Lane was fought on August 25, 1651 during the Third English Civil War, between Royalists under the command of the Earl of Derby and elements of the New Model Army under the command of Colonel Robert Lilburne. ...

Industrial Revolution

Wigan, primarily a mill town, was once an important centre of textile manufacture. The Leeds-Liverpool Canal was diverted from its original planned course, at the request of the mill owners, to transport coal from the Lancashire coalfield pits into Wigan for the mills and was 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 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 in Lancashire, not far from Wigan. Amoskeag Canal, 1948, by Charles Sheeler A mill town is a community that grew up around one or more mills or factories, usually on a river that was used as a source of power in the days before electricity. ... With the establishment of overseas colonies, the British Empire at the end of the 17th century/beginning of the 18th century had a vast source of raw materials and a vast market for goods. ... The Canal du Midi, Toulouse, France Canals are artificial channels for water. ... A Turkish woman in Konya works at a traditional loom. ... Child labour or labor is the phenomenon of children in employment. ... Martin Cruz Smith (nÃ© Martin William Smith, later changed his middle name to Cruz after his grandmothers surname) was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, USA in 1942. ... Queen Victoria (shown here on the morning of her accession to the Throne, 20 June 1837) gave her name to the historic era The Victorian era of the United Kingdom marked the height of the British Industrial Revolution and the apex of the British Empire. ...

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.^[13] 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.^[14] Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903[1][2] â€“ 21 January 1950), better known by the pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist. ... The Road to Wigan Pier was written by George Orwell and published in 1937. ...

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. The hundred of West Derby (sometimes known as West Derbyshire, not to be confused with Derbyshire, which has a district formerly called West Derbyshire) is an ancient subdivision of Lancashire, covering the south-west of the county. ... The term township generally means the district or area associated with a town. ... A civil parish (usually just parish) in England is a subnational entity forming the lowest unit of local government, lower than districts or counties. ...

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.^[15] Amoskeag Canal, 1948, by Charles Sheeler A mill town is a community that grew up around one or more mills or factories, usually on a river that was used as a source of power in the days before electricity. ... The Municipal Reform Act 1835 required members of town councils (municipal corporations) to be elected by ratepayers and councils to publish their financial accounts. ... County borough was a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom to refer to a borough or a city independent of county administration. ... The Local Government Act 1888 (51 & 52 Vict. ... Pemberton Urban District was an an urban district from 1894 to 1904, when it was added to the county borough of Wigan. ... The County Borough of Wigan was, from 1889 to 1974, a local government district centred on Wigan in the northwest of England. ...

Wigan is in the Wigan Parliamentary constituency. It is part of the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool. Wigan is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England, especially following the Reformation. ... The Diocese of Liverpool could refer to the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool Category: ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The Archdiocese of Liverpool Logo incorporating The Official Crest The Archdiocese of Liverpool is a Roman Catholic archdiocese based in Liverpool, with the Archbishop of Liverpool. ...

Geography

The historic town of Wigan forms a tightly-integrated conurbation along with the areas 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.^[16] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x958, 168 KB) Wigan, U.K. This is a NASA World Wind screenshot. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x958, 168 KB) Wigan, U.K. This is a NASA World Wind screenshot. ... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nations public space program. ... Orrell is an area in Greater Manchester, England. ... Ince-in-Makerfield, usually known just as Ince is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England. ... Standish is a placename. ... Abram is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. ... West Lancashire is a local government district in Lancashire, England. ... Skelmersdale is a town within West Lancashire, in North West England. ... Office for National Statistics logo The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the United Kingdom government executive agency charged with the collection and publication of statistics related to the economy, population and society of the United Kingdom at national and local levels. ... A NASA satelite image of Wigan. ...

Economy

This article does not cite any references or sources. ... JJB Sports PLC is one of the United Kingdoms leading sports retailers. ... MiNT (MiNT is Now TOS) is an alternative operating system (OS) kernel for the Atari ST computer and its successors which is free software. ... Uncle Joes Mint Balls are disc-shaped mints produced by Wm Santus and Co in Wigan, Greater Manchester, the United Kingdom. ... Look up Pill in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For the larger local government district, see Metropolitan Borough of St Helens. ... GlaxoSmithKline plc (LSE: GSK NYSE: GSK) is a British based pharmaceutical, biologicals, and healthcare company. ... The Bath, a painting by Mary Cassatt (1844â€“1926). ... A connoisseur (Fr. ...

Landmarks

The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in the north of England running from Liverpool, Merseyside to Leeds, West Yorkshire. ... Uncle Joes Mint Balls are disc-shaped mints produced by Wm Santus and Co in Wigan, Greater Manchester, the United Kingdom. ... Location within the British Isles. ...

Regeneration

Wigan is currently in the midst of a large regeneration project with the 'Grand Arcade' shopping complex which opened its doors on the 22nd March 2007 being the largest current development. The area around the famous 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, to be built on the same site as the current baths, which are to be demolished, a new 18 storey tower block (which will include 15,000sq feet of retail and leisure units,35,000 sq feet of offices and 150 apartments) called "Tower Grand" which will be located next to the Grand Arcade, residential and office buildings on the site of the former police station and plans are also afoot to develop the old town hall which has been in a state of decay for many years.^{[citation needed]}

Culture

Wigan is famous for having one of the highest concentrations of Pubs and Social Clubs in the UK. The National Union of Labour and Socialist Clubs until recently held an annual event at Haigh Hall. There are still approximately twenty Labour Clubs in the area.^{[citation needed]}

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 Railway Children, Witness, The Tansads, Limahl of Kajagoogoo and (more recently) Starsailor. Popular music is music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and are disseminated by one or more of the mass media. ... George Formby (now known as George Formby Senior) (1875 - 1921) was the father of ukulele playing star George Formby, and a star in his own right. ... George Formby, OBE (26 May 1904 â€“ 6 March 1961) was an English singer and comedian who became a major star of both cinema and music hall. ... The Eight Lancashire Lads a were troupe of young male dancers who toured the Music Halls of Great Britian in the late 1800s and early 1900s. ... Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin, Jr. ... The Railway Children is an alternative rock band from England. ... Witness were a British Alternative Rock band formed in Wigan, England in 1997. ... The Tansads were an English band from Wigan, Lancashire who were active during the 1990s. ... Image:Tobias regner lim. ... Kajagoogoo were a British pop band best known for their first single, Too Shy, which reached number one in the UK Singles Chart and number five in the U.S Billboard Hot 100 in 1983. ... Starsailor is a British rock band from Chorley in England. ...

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. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Lollapalooza is an American music festival featuring rock, alternative rock, hip hop, and punk rock bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. ... Winstanley College is a sixth form college situated on Winstanley Road, Billinge Higher End, Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester . ...

The Wigan Casino was, from 1973, the location for Wigan's weekly Northern Soul all-nighters (most being DJed by famous deep funk & northern soul DJ Keb Darge), until it was demolished in 1983. The Wigan Casino is generally acknowledged as the best known and most famous Northern Soul venue in history. ... The Verve see A Northern Soul This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Keb Darge is a Scottish DJ of the genres of Northern Soul and Deep Funk music, and is possibly the best-known DJ of such genres. ...

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.^[17] Haigh (pronounced Feet) is a village and civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England. ...

Pies

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. Wiganers are 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". ^[18]. The annual World Pie Eating Championship is usually held at Harrys Bar on Wallgate, Wigan. ... For the hard rock band of the same name, see Humble Pie (band). ...

Transport

Roads

Wigan lies on the meeting point of two primary A roads, the A49 and A577 which link to the M6 and M58 motorways. The colour scheme used to denote a primary route. ... Great Britain has many ancient roads and trackways dating back not only to the Roman occupation of southern Britain but to much earlier times, including the oldest engineered road to be discovered anywhere in the world: the Sweet Track dating from the 3800s BC. With the advent of the motor... The A49 near Warrington The A49 is a major road in England. ... The numbering zones for A-roads in Great Britain List of A roads beginning with 5 in Great Britain starting north/east of the A5, west of the A6, south of the Solway Firth/Eden Estuary. ... This article concerns the M6 motorway in England. ... The M58 motorway is a motorway in England. ...

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 railway station is one of two main railway stations serving the town of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. ... Overhead wire in Coventry, England Overhead wire and its suspension system in Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA A railway electrification system is a way of supplying electric power to electric locomotives and multiple units. ... The WCML running alongside the M1 motorway at Watford Gap in Northamptonshire A Virgin Pendolino and freight train on the WCML The West Coast Main Line (WCML) is one of the most important intercity railway lines in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Euston station, also known as London Euston, is a major railway station to the north of central London and in the London Borough of Camden. ... Birmingham (pron. ... Lancaster is a city within Lancashire, in North West England. ... , Carlisle is a city in the far north-west of England, and is the largest urban area in Cumbria. ... , Edinburgh (() pronounced ; Scottish Gaelic: ) is the capital of Scotland and its second largest city. ... â€œGlaswegianâ€ redirects here. ... Northern Rail is a train and railway operating company that has operated local services in the north of England since 2004. ... Preston, a city and local government district in Lancashire, England, is located on the River Ribble. ... It has been suggested that South Shore, Blackpool be merged into this article or section. ... For the larger local government district, see Metropolitan Borough of St Helens. ... The main entrance to Liverpool Lime Street Station Liverpool Lime Street railway station on Lime Street is the mainline railway station serving Liverpool, England. ... Wigan Wallgate railway station is one of two main railway stations serving the town of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. ... Northern Rail is a train and railway operating company that has operated local services in the north of England since 2004. ... For other uses, see Southport (disambiguation). ... Arms of the former Kirkby Urban District Council Kirkby (pronounced - the second k is silent) is a new town in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, Merseyside, England. ... Liverpool Central station is a railway station in Liverpool, England, and forms the central hub of the Merseyrail network, being on both the Northern Line and the Wirral Line. ... Merseyrail is the name given to the electric commuter train network centred on Liverpool. ... Bolton is a large town in the north-west of England. ... This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ... Manchester Victoria Manchester Victoria railway station is the second of Manchesters mainline railway stations, now being much less important than Manchester Piccadilly station. ... The very modern approach to Manchester Piccadilly station The station concourse; platforms at this terminus station are behind a glass screen A Virgin Trains Pendolino awaiting departure to London The station side-wall showing the elevation of the platforms, which are on a level with the brown brickwork Manchester Piccadilly... For the United States airport, see Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. ... Stockport is a large town in the north west of England. ... For the larger local government district, see Metropolitan Borough of Oldham. ... For other uses, see Rochdale (disambiguation). ... Pemberton railway station serves Pemberton, a western suburb of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England. ...

Buses

A network of local buses serves Wigan and district; it is co-ordinated by Greater Manchester PTE and departing from a bus station in the town centre, which is also served by National Express long distance services. The Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) is the public body (Passenger Transport Executive) responsible for co-ordinating public transport services throughout Greater Manchester in England. ... National Express is the brand under which the majority of long distance bus and coach services in the United Kingdom are marketed, and also the company that manages this network and operates some of the services. ...

Since deregulation and privatisation of the bus industry in the 1980s and 1990s, a number of different companies have operated in Wigan, some big, some small.
At present the two larger national operators are:-

South Lancs Travel also provide numerous services around the borough of Wigan. First Manchester is one of the bus companies serving the area of Greater Manchester, England. ... Bolton is a large town in the north-west of England. ... This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ... Arriva North-West & Wales is a division of Arriva. ... Bolton is a large town in the north-west of England. ... , Chorley Library Chorley is a market town in Lancashire, England, south of Preston and at the foot of the West Pennine Moors and home to the Chorley cake. ... Preston, a city and local government district in Lancashire, England, is located on the River Ribble. ... Skelmersdale is a town within West Lancashire, in North West England. ... For other uses, see Southport (disambiguation). ... For the larger local government district, see Metropolitan Borough of St Helens. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... South Lancs Travel is a bus operator in the Bolton, Wigan and Leigh operating services on behalf of Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive. ...

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. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal is a canal in the north of England running from Liverpool, Merseyside to Leeds, West Yorkshire. ... Location within the British Isles. ... The Bridgewater Canal is a canal in North West England, near Manchester. ...

Sports

Wigan's main sports teams are Wigan Warriors (rugby league) and Wigan Athletic (football). Wigan Athletic and Wigan Warriors share the JJB Stadium in the Newtown area of the town. Wigan RLFC's ground, for most of the 20th century, 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, in Wigan, was the former home of Wigan Athletic FC. Wigan Warriors are a professional rugby league team based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. ... Wally Lewis passing the ball in Rugby League State of Origin. ... Wigan Athletic Football Club is a professional football team based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. ... A player (wearing the red kit) has penetrated the defence (in the white kit) and is taking a shot at goal. ... The JJB Stadium is a sports stadium located within the Robin Park Complex in Newtown, Wigan, Greater Manchester. ... Central Park was a multi-use stadium in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England and was one of the most famous stadiums in Rugby League. ... Upper Clapton is a district in the London Borough of Hackney. ...

As Wigan RLFC, the "Warriors" in the eighties and nineties were England's leading rugby league team. 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 brought in players including Stuart Fielden and the team won 9 of their last 13 matches, ensuring that they weren't relegated, and finished 8th in the league table. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Wally Lewis passing the ball in Rugby League State of Origin. ... Super League (Europe) began in March 1996 and is the only full-time professional rugby league competition operating in the northern hemisphere. ... Ian Millward (born August 22, 1960), is an Australian-born rugby league coach. ... Bradford Bulls is a professional Rugby League club based in the city of Bradford, England. ... Since his appointment as head coach of Bradford Bulls in 2000, Nobby has guided the Bulls to two Minor Premiership titles, victory in two Grand Finals in 2001 and 2003, the Challenge Cup in 2003 and to two World Club Championships in 2002 and 2004. ... Stuart Fielden (born September 14, 1979 in Halifax, West Yorkshire) is an English rugby league player. ...

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 2005/06 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. The Football League is an organisation representing 72 professional football clubs in England and Wales, and runs the oldest professional football league competition in the world. ... The FA Premier League (often referred to as the Barclays English Premier League for sponsorship reasons) comprises the top 20 football clubs in the league system of English football. ... The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition. ... Manchester Uniteds emblem Manchester United F.C. (often abbreviated to Man United or just Man U, pronounced man-yoo) is an English football club based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. ...

Wigan is one of relatively few towns in the UK to have an international-standard swimming pool in the town centre. The pool itself was built to exact Olympic standards, but has never been used for official Olympic sanctioned competition. The resident swimming club, Wigan Wasps, which has now changed its name to Wigan BEST^[19]^[20] has produced Olympic standard swimmers, including medal winner June Croft. This article concentrates on human swimming. ... The five Olympic rings were designed in 1913, adopted in 1914 and debuted at the Games at Antwerp, 1920. ... Category: ...

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. Details of the Warriors activities are shown on www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk

Notable people

People who were either born or brought up in Wigan or its surrounding area, or have had some significant connection with the town, or its surrounding area, during their life, include:

This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Winstanley College is a sixth form college situated on Winstanley Road, Billinge Higher End, Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester . ... Winstanley may refer to: Winstanley (film), 1975 film Alan Winstanley, a UK record producer Gerrard Winstanley, a 17th century English religious reformer Henry Winstanley, a 17th century English engineer Michael Winstanley, late 20th-century English politician and MP Russ Winstanley, English DJ Billinge with_Winstanley, Greater Manchester Category: ... The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan is a Metropolitan Borough of Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. ... 82. ... Kay Burley Kay Burley is an English television newscaster. ... See TV (disambiguation) for other uses and Television (band) for the rock band European networks National In much of Europe television broadcasting has historically been state dominated, rather than commercially organised, although commercial stations have grown in number recently. ... A news anchor (US,Can. ... George Formby, OBE (26 May 1904 â€“ 6 March 1961) was an English singer and comedian who became a major star of both cinema and music hall. ... A comedian, or comic, is an entertainer who amuses an audience by making them laugh. ... The ukulele (Hawaiian: , IPA pronunciation: ; Anglicised pronunciation usually IPA: ), sometimes spelled ukelele (particularly in the UK) or uke, is a chordophone classified as a plucked lute; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four strings or four courses of strings. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... Roy Kinnear (January 8, 1934 â€“ September 20, 1988) was a prolific English character actor. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... Stuart Maconie (b. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CBE (born May 25, 1939) is a veteran English stage and screen actor, the recipient of a Tony Award and two Oscar nominations. ... ... Jennifer Moss (born January 10, 1945) is a British actress, best known for her role as Lucille Hewitt on the soap opera Coronation Street, which she played from 1960 to 1974. ... Eva Pope is a British actress. ... Frank Randle (Born Arthur Hughes, also known as Arthur McEvoy) (January 30, 1901 - July 15, 1957) was a British comedian. ... A comedian, or comic, is an entertainer who amuses an audience by making them laugh. ... Ted Ray (November 21, 1905-November 8, 1977) (real name Charles Olden) was a popular British comedian of the 1950s and 1960s. ... Davinia Taylor (real name Davinia Murphy) is a British actress, born in Wigan, Lancashire, England in November, 1977. ... Jennifer as Geena Gregory Jennifer (Jenny) James, (born Jennifer Claire Reynolds) is an English actress born in 1978 in Wigan, Greater Manchester. ... Ashley Slanina-Davies as Amy Barnes. ... Bryan Talbot (born February 24, 1952) is a British comic book artist and writer. ... Greg Ellis (born March 21, 1968 in Wigan, Lancashire, England) is an English actor. ... Kathryn Drysdale is an English actress, born in Wigan, Lancashire. ... David Whelan born in Bradford on 24 November 1936, is a former professional footballer with Blackburn Rovers and the current owner of Wigan Warriors and Wigan Athletic. ... A businessman (sometimes businesswoman, female; or businessperson, gender neutral) is a generic term for a wide range of people engaged in profit-oriented enterprises, generally the management of a company. ... Leslie Cannon (1920-1970) Leslie was a prominent union official and served as General President from 1963 to 1970. ... A trade union or labor union is a continuous association of wage-earners for the purpose of maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment. ... Gerrard Winstanley (1609 - September 10, 1676) was an English LEZZ CED religious reformer and political activist during the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell. ... For other meanings see Diggers (disambiguation) and Levellers (disambiguation) The Diggers were a group begun by Gerrard Winstanley in 1649 which called for a total destruction of the existing social order and replacement with a communistic and agrarian lifestyle based around the precepts of Christian Nationalism, wishing to rid England... Joseph (Joe) Gormley, Baron Gormley, OBE (5 July 1917-27 May 1993) was born in Ashton-in-Makerfield, in Lancashire in 1917. ... The National Union of Mineworkers is a trade union for coal miners in the United Kingdom. ... Thomas Billington, (born December 5, 1958, Golborne, Lancashire) is a former English professional wrestler better known by his ring name The Dynamite Kid. ... Wrestling can be: Sport wrestling Professional wrestling Another term for grappling This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Dynamite Kid The Dynamite Kid, real name Tom Billington, was a professional wrestler from England. ... World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ... The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan is a Metropolitan Borough of Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. ... Billy Boston MBE is a former Wales rugby league player. ... The British Rugby League Hall of Fame was established by the Rugby Football League in 1988 to commemorate the greatest ever players in British rugby league. ... Shaun Edwards OBE is a former English rugby league player and now head coach at London Wasps rugby union team. ... Andrew Farrell OBE (30 May 1975-) is an English rugby player. ... Sean Elizabeth Long (born September 24, 1976 in Wigan) is a rugby league player who currently plays for St Helens as scrum-half. ... Wally Lewis passing the ball in Rugby League State of Origin. ... St Helens Rugby League Football Club or simply Saints are a professional rugby league club from St Helens, England. ... Frank Richards was the nom de plume of two 20th century authors. ... Mr. ... The Mister World contest is an international beauty pageant for men and has been held since 1996. ... Mr. ... Peter Atherton is an English football player who can play in defence or midfield. ... Lee Croft (born 26 June 1985 in Billinge Maternity Hospital in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester), is an English footballer who currently plays for Norwich City. ... Andrew Andy Griffin, (born March 7, 1979 in Billinge Higher End, in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan) is an English footballer, currently playing for Derby County. ... Leon Osman (born May 17, 1981 in Billinge Higher End, in the Wigan, England) is a professional football player currently playing for Everton. ... Danny Wilson (band) Scottish band Danny Wilson (football) English football manager This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Daniel Danny Sonner (b. ... Angus Robert Charles Fraser (born 8 August 1965, in Billinge, Lancashire) was an English cricketer. ... Jim Sullivan was a Welsh rugby league player. ...

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