Wigan Album

Some views of the demolition of the Methodist chapel (church) which stood at the junction of Winwick Lane and Newton Road, at Lane Head, Lowton. Built in 1880 and closed and demolished in 1985 when the congregation relocated to the original Sunday school buildings (built in 1913) just across the road in Newton Road. A private house now stands on the site, a peculiar location I always thought to build a house, as it is right next to two sets of traffic lights and a pretty busy road junction which connects with M6.
I understand that this year, the church has closed its doors for the final time due to falling congregation levels. I have many happy memories of both attending this church and Sunday school, and latterly stoking the boilers with the “Old King” on a Saturday night in the colder months for the central heating, ready for Sunday’s services. Sadly, it does seem (as one other viewer has already commented elsewhere on WW, that it is the non-conformist churches that have suffered the most, as significant numbers of the population have abandoned Christianity in this once great country of ours.

In the views, all the stained glasswork has been removed, and the large portal arch which is visible at the rear of the church in one of the views (which had three glass murals in it) was re-instated in the Sunday school building as were one or two of the named foundation stones/blocks. The interior was exquisite really, all in pitch pine which (wiser heads than mine informed me) was chosen at the time due to it being a cheaper wood than most. This was all varnished and this gave the woodwork a beautiful yellowish colour which highlighted the black grain structure of the pine in a quite splendid manner. All the quality of a by-gone age!