Wigan Album
Parbold
8 CommentsPhoto: DTease
Item #: 31384
There's a bit more of a story to this place than your caption - the dock is actually set where the canal was supposed to have gone straight on - by-passing Wigan altogether. Instead, a right-turn was made, and the cut was made via Wigan to tap into the lucrative coal trade from there.
Where was the canal originally going prior to the diversion to Wigan?
Poet - the original line, called the 1770 Parliamentary Line, went from Parbold via Eccleston, Leyland, Whalley, and Padiham to meet the present line at Colne. This line was pressed by the Yorkshire committee, and opposed by the Liverpool one. The line Liverpool preferred, via Wigan, was priced £65k more than the £175k of the Yorkshire line - and was 20 miles longer. By the 1790s common sense prevailed, and the Wigan route was built.
Thanks for the reply Rev. There must have been fierce debate at the time. I presume the new route would have needed parliamentary approval.
Wigan's MP in 1790 was Orlando Bridgeman , a Tory. I wonder how he voted.
I recall reading somewhere that some landowners referred to the canals as "stinking ditches"..,,
I read a somewhat different history. That While building of the parliamentary line had been paused due to lack of funds, the Lancaster canal had been completed as far south as the environs of Aspull. Lancaster Canal permitted L&L to lease the Southern end, and abandon their original proposal, instead building links to Lancaster canal from L&L at Wigan, and similarly (Walton Summit) at the other end.
Johnsons Hillock Locks, not Walton Summit. Apologies.
Priscus - the story isn't different - you've just filled in part of the gap in the sequence of events between 1770 and 1790. There was much going on - towns which were insignificant rose in status, rival canals were mooted, money for canals became easier to raise in the 1790s - and all this combined to make changing the line of the L&L a Good Idea.
I could write a book - but I don't need to - Mike Clarke has written two on the subject!