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Photos of Wigan
Photos of Wigan



Wigan Album

Parbold

8 Comments

Graving Dock
Graving Dock
Photo: DTease
Views: 2,833
Item #: 31384
Entrance to the old Graving Dock, Parbold.

Comment by: Rev David Long on 30th July 2019 at 23:18

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.

Comment by: Poet on 31st July 2019 at 08:01

Where was the canal originally going prior to the diversion to Wigan?

Comment by: Rev David Long on 31st July 2019 at 08:53

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.

Comment by: Poet on 31st July 2019 at 15:00

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.

Comment by: Veronica on 31st July 2019 at 16:01

I recall reading somewhere that some landowners referred to the canals as "stinking ditches"..,,

Comment by: priscus on 31st July 2019 at 19:02

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.

Comment by: priscus on 31st July 2019 at 19:27

Johnsons Hillock Locks, not Walton Summit. Apologies.

Comment by: Rev David Long on 31st July 2019 at 20:34

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!

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