Wigan Album

A unique set of pics from Thomas. Many thanks to him for sharing them. The old St Mary's Church (built 1887, demolished 1978) is prominent on the left. Another prominent building of which I had heard nothing before is the Stanley Corn Mill on Henry Street, off Warrington Road. Its site is now occupied by Avril Court. I have yet to discover when it ceased to operate, but we have an advertisement for it in the Parish's Year Book for 1953, which states it was established in 1882. I will send a scan of it to WW directly.

Does this picture show Ainscow St before it was demolished. I have traced my ancesters here in 1901.

Reference Rev Long's query. I lived opposite the corn mill in Henry Street, in the 40s.During the war all the front of the building was covered in sand bags, as children we used to play on the top of them. The Ball family owned the business, it had some kind of crane at the front. Sacks of raw cereals were hoisted up from carts and lorries in Henry Street, into the corn mill. At the bottom of Henry Street you could look across over Spring Branch, and across Pearson's fields, towards Liverpool, and watch the massive explosions taking place as Liverpool was being bombed. One night I was with my dad and Mr Harris.( He lived next door to me ), a German bomber was circling, it seemed overhead but it must have been east of Springs Branch. One of its wings was blazing, it just turned over and crashed east of Springs Branch.( it must have been German as it was definately a bomber). One of the son's, named Hilton Ball seemed to have a lot of interest in the business. He was very posh, he had a car, one of the few in Spring View, at that time.

I left a comment. I pressed the go back button , and lost the text.Sorry, I don't know if you can retrieve it ?

Reference my comment about the German aircraft. It came down well to the west of Springs Branch , and not east,sorry.

The church was situated on the opposite of Warrington Road from Cemetary Lane. the railway ran along the side of it. On the opposite side of the road the railway line carried on to the main railway line, it then came under the bridge now on the same side as the church, and the line carried on to the Central Wagon Works. Engines shunted wagons to this wagon works for repair. On Platt Bridge side of the church was Ainscow Street. This was a very long street of terraced houses.It fronted onto a large area of spare land , to a large number of allotments. on the other side of the allotments was another large area of spare land,leading onto a pond known locally as the Clayhole,Ince Council dustbin wagons, deposited household rubbish here, through the 40s.On one side of the pond there was another stretch of spare land finishing at Malvern Crescent. On the other side there was another small wagon works. over on the extreme side there were fields, stretching all the way to Hindley. There was a second farm, near to the main road leading to Hindley, as well as the farm near to Marlborough Avenue. this was how it was in the 1940s In Ince Green Lane, the street by the side of the church lead down to Central Wagon Works, and also to Ince Forge where my uncle James operated a crane. In the middle of the Clayhole pond there was a island where swans nested. It wasn't really Swan Lake territory, but very kind and generous people lived in this locality.

Karen Ainscoe St is not on this photo .we lived at 297Warrington Rd 6Houses from St Mary's Church ,Ainscow St ran back to back with us.a lot of my family livedon that st.look on people go down to Berry family Spring View.see 3 of my cousins Hilda Sid Bernad Berry that is on Ainscow St.hope that helps. Albert from St Mary's Church to railway bridge at Clincker valley is SpringView not Platt Bridge . platt Bridge starts under raillway bridge to lights at Byrn rd then changes to Abram.As kids we never swam in Clayhole (to many rats) Trenchie was our swimming pond all through summer holidays great days it's were all SpringView kids learned to swim.played football for St Mary's Boys Club on Trenchie pitch .Spent hours playing in Wagan works(Springs Branch)Train spotting looking for birds nest great place to grow up great people.