Wigan Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
town in Greater Manchester, England
About Wigan
Until 1800 Wigan was a small market town overlooking the River Douglas. The river wasn't suitable for navigation or for driving waterwheels, so the early phase of the Industrial Revolution passed the town by. Then came steam-driven mills powered by coal from the local coalfield, and the Leeds-Liverpool canal placed it right on the main trans-Pennine trade route. Wigan grew rapidly into a major centre for cotton-milling and clothing, along with mining and related industries. In the 19th century, a narrow-gauge line carried coal trucks over a tressle viaduct spanning the river valley to the canal wharf, where the coal was tipped into barges. The nameWigan Pieris believed to have started from a joke in 1891, when a railway excursion to Southport was delayed outside Wallgate Station. "Where th
Top Attractions in Wigan
Explore the best things to see and do in Wigan:
- ★Leigh Leopards
- ★Museum of Wigan Life
- ★Wigan Athletic
- ★Wigan Pier
Where to Stay in Wigan
- 🏨Holiday Inn Express
- 🏨Mercure Wigan Oak Hotel
- 🏨New Charles Dickens
Wigan Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 12 sections including: