Wigan Pier Autumn 2020

Wigan is famous for a few things that the townsfolk take pride in, but one stands out as a landmark that refuses to die. Wigan Pier. Once a busy port on the Leeds to Liverpool Canal and the title of George Orwells social commentary on the plight of the early 20th century industrial towns of the North of England, Wigan Pier has seen better days. It lay derelict for many years after the canal barges finally gave way to road and rail haulage. Wigan Borough Council spent several million pounds in the 1980's to refurbish the site as a Pub and History Musem that was very popular for a number of years. Sadly, falling visitor numbers in the early part of the 20th century saw Wigan Pier decline and once again it was closed and mothballed. The Orwell Pub lasted a few more years until sadly that closed too. The complex was left to gently rot away but that changed in 2018 when local Arts hub The Old Courts took the premises on and with sound financial backing Wigan Pier has been undergoing a refurbishment to restore it to a useful life.

The work began in 2019 and was to have been finished by now, but "The 'Rona" had other ideas. Delays due to lockdown and the uncertain future of the entertainment industry has seen it mothballed until it's safe for the tradesmen to return and put the finishing touches to this world famous landmark. A lot of the remedial work to ensure the roofs dont leak and the exterior is looking nice again has been done, as has the interior of Pier 2 and 3, formally known as The Orwell pub. This is eventually going to re-open as a pub and host functions, events and conferences. Pier 4 is being repurposed from it's previous life as the Local History Museum to become a hub for local artisans and small businesses to have a place to make and sell their products at an affordable rent. With business rents and rates rising ever higher, this is a welcome development and has already got several tenants waiting to move in.

The final part of the refurbishment of Wigan Pier will be the building of apartments and housing to fill the need for affordable housing in the community.That plan has been put on hold for the foreseeable future, but by the end of this decade Wigan Pier will once again be a bustling hive of activity. It's good to see investment in the town to bring a former industrial site back to good use and I am sure Wigan Pier will still be around for many more years to come.

Here are a few photo's I shot before we were once again placed I Lockdown here in the UK. I shot them on Kodak Pro Image 100 using my Nikon F801 and AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 D and I hope you enjoy them.