Wigan Album

It's from the rear of the hall Ron, on the left side

RON, I think this photo is taken from the bottom of the hill just past the golf course hut as you near the hall, just past the stables on the left. On the on top of the hill behind the Rhododendrum would be the kids play area.

Couldn't make my mind up if it was the side of the hall, with the kids playground to the left up the hill, or the back of the hall with the small car park to the left?

Would suggest it was the back of the hall. I think the path that you can see goes back towards the plantations ie roughly parallel with the main drive towards the Hall

When I was a little girl, as you walked up the long drive towards the Hall, the Children's Play Area was on the left of the Hall, down in a dip, rather than to the right of the Hall, in an elevated position, as it was in later years. I remember it vividly. You could go into the Hall in those days, too, and I remember a room with a huge glass cabinet in the middle, housing brass musical instruments.

From what I recall from years ago behind the shrubbery and up the slope was the fishpond and greenhouses. I can be forgiven if I'm wrong it's so long since I was there.

Irene, you are right about the play area being on the left of the hall in a dip, like you, when we were kids we would walk to the hall and be allowed to play on the swings etc. I also remember going into the hall and taking a guided tour around the many rooms. We were also shown a door that went down into the cellar where you could see the entrance to a tunnel that, we were told, went to the Wigan Parish church, an escape route perhaps !!.

Its on the left of the hall if looking from the rear, its the same place as the log pile on Wednesdays 19th July, 2017 Photo-a-Day.
The square patch of cobbles are still there, maybe it was a place that was used as a unloading area

A policeman on duty in haigh hall you wouldn't see that in these days, a job to see them anywhere with all the cuts .

Perhaps someone had been poaching Sam and that's why the bobby is there - taking down particulars!

The cahp talking to the bobby looks like James Higson, who was the gatekeeper all around the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
He and his wife lived in the two stone lodges at Plantation Gates.
A photo of him and more information at Item #:20176 in the Haigh Hall album.

There are steps which led to what was some kind of tower, a folly which is no longer there, just behind the photographer to the left.,

Veronica ,your probably right would imagine it was rife in those times.

Sam H and Veronica, my granddad held the position of unofficial gamekeeper for Lord Crawford, though his lordship and his merry men never, according to granddad, caught him, he knew every inch of the plantations and according to my dad, there was never a shortage of Rabbit stew along with vegetables on the table. Fruit also was plentiful - apples, pears etc all courtesy of the estate - of course - this was way back in the 1930/40s. Bit of a lad was my granddad, god bless him.

Who could blame him JJP -his thoughts were for his family and there were mean times in that period. One of my grt grandfathers pinched some chickens but was caught - that was in 1880 -he served 3 months in prison. Who are we to judge ? How can we know how hungry they were in our land of plenty?

Sadly all the rhododendrums have been removed due to a disease all over the plantation. I play golf there and the colour has gone from all over the course