Wigan Album
Leeds and Liverpool Canal
11 Comments
Photo: dk
Item #: 4980
Any fishermen complaining about narrow boats messing up the swim would have cause to grumble if one of these b b b beauties glided by. They must be nearly scraping the bottom and are moored probably as close as they dare get to the bank. Nine tenths of a coalberg is under water and coupled with the width of it I think your carefully catapulted casters would end up about twenty pegs downhill.
I walked the straight length at New Springs on Saturday afternoon because it was such a nice day and realised that this is where we are....I think.
I fancy the barges are waiting for their turn in the locks and heading for Westwood.
I am far from 100% about this - there are houses in the background that I can't make any sense of - so if anyone knows for sure I would really appreciate it if you could put the record straight.
Dated approx 1953.
dk,,,Would almost certainly say that it is the straight length,running parallel with Withington Lane,,,but barges facing opposite way to wigan,,facing Springs Bridge,,,,>Am Sure houses on top of hill is Higher Lane with Haigh Hall Plantions beyond,,,,,with the old council offices (I think) backed to the fields,,in fact am sure that the houses in the distance are on the main road leading up past colliers Arms and ones on far top are Higher Lane,,,You gonna say "he,s right you know "an kick yourself when you read this,,,,,bet you fished this stretch a million times,,,
I had a doubt because of the first lot of terraced houses on the bottom left have their gable end facing this way which is just not part of my memories but the Alan Godfrey map of Wigan North 1907 Lancashire sheet 93.04 does show a Bridge Street just over the canal bridge.
You're also very right about the fishing. I have had many a blistered back here in the summer and not a bite to show for it.
Re the barge Margaret : This barge was owned by Mr Wells who lived on Warrington Road Abram. He had a number of barges and he named them after female family members. I went to school with one of his sons ( William Wells ) who couldn't have a barge named after him, being male. I think Margaret was his eldest sister. I'm almost sure that I remember "Margaret" being moored at Dover Lock ( Abram ) in the 50's
This is indeed just above Withington Lane near Top Lock. Margaret is facing towards New Springs Bridge and Haigh Hall.
Just wondering why she and another barge are moored here.....
I would actually say this was on the Leigh Branch, passing behind Abram, coming away from Lily Lane bridge and heading to Dover Lock. St John Church in Abram would stand atop the hill to the right
Sorry Dennis, you are wrong here. The road in the distance is actually Wigan Road, going up towards Aspull. The farmers fields to the right of the canal belong to Marsdens.
I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING MY ANCESTRY AND DISCOVERED MY GRANDFATHER, THOMAS BLEARS, WAS A CANAL BOATMAN (AROUND 1890) ON THE CANAL AND LIVED IN ASTLEY, VERY CLOSE TO THE CANAL.HAS ANYONE ANY IDEAS HOW I COULD CONNECT HIS NAME WITH THE CANAL ?
The Margaret was one of Dean Waddington's boats, registered in Blackburn and used for carrying coal between Wigan and East Lancashire
Whilst researching my family history I found that John Davies, one of many Davies bargemen from Adlington, died on board Margaret in 1938 whilst moored at Blackburn!
For the avoidance of any doubt, the houses in the distance on the horizon are on the eastern side of Wigan Road/Ivy Brow with the back of the Ivy showing as furthest right. The row of houses just visible to the left of that is Higher Lane leading to Haigh Hall and the Plantations (which are further left on the horizon). The barge is therefore pointing away from Haigh Hall. Fantastic picture. Though the far bank is more overgrown now, a similar picture could be taken today from a strategic point.