Wigan Album

Ron, I can remember Wigan Corporation buses with just Pony Dick on the destination board. Never knew where it was!

Thanks Ron. I knew this area was known as Pony Dick but never knew the reason why. You learn something new everyday. Wasn't there a coal mine in the area also called Pony Dick.

Ron, where in Highfield was this. Was it near the Venture Pub which was the name of a former mine.

Mariem It's in the dip just before you start to climb the hill to Winstanley The houses you can see are still there

The pub was named after Pony Dick - a favourite white pony belonging to Squire Bankes of Winstanley Hall. There was a drift mine called Pony Dick pit also. The pub got its name when Richard Starkey became landlord - he had formerly been a groom at the hall. (This from memory - errors may be present!).

Pony Dick pit was across the road from the pub. My dad used to work there.

If only people who demolished it had the foresight to keep it as a pub What a place of interest it would be today.

In the early, 1960s, if you looked up Clapgate Lane, from Warrington Road, beyond The slag heaps of Todds, in the very far distance, you could see a green area of land. Would this be in the region of Pony Dick? At that time, someone told me it was. I was never sure.

A painting of the horse Pony Dick, and a photo of its gravestone can be found on page one of the Winstanley album in the 'Places' section of this site.

On the 1849 OS map it is called 'Favourite Poney Inn'

If you look under "stuff"there is a good description of old Winstanley by Ray winstanley when he interviewed some of the old inhabitants. It makes really good reading for people who are interested in the area

I remember there was some kind of a mine (drift) in the woods opposite the pub, which we called Winky wood.