Wigan Album

Parish church, behind the old Black Horse pub. The raised area is to facilitate deliveries from a cart. It was no doubt higher at one time, but the ground level has risen over the years.

I don’t know where it is Ron but was it used to mount a horse?

Don't know where it is but was it a coffin rest?

It's in Wigan All Saints Churchyard at the abck of what was the Black Horse Pub, ( a travel agency now). In understand it's a fragment of medieval pavement.

Being a Wiganer I know where it is, its just at the back off some shops and close to a church, I think it could have been used for mounting a horse

Is it Churchgates near Wigan Parish church ?

Yes it's behind the parish church. Was told it was built to facilitate the Earl of Balcaress's family to alight from their carriage.

When drainage work lower down from here was bring carried out for Barclays bank which was being built on the site of Lowes, a human skeleton was found and at the time it was investigated as being a murder, upon digging down the workmen had come across a this skeleton lying above a modern drain pipe, after an investigation it was deemed that the skeleton was from an old grave at the back of the church, with the bones being put back and laid over the drain after being uncovered by the workmen digging down installing the original drains from Lowes, with no record of this it was deemed they'd kept quiet about what they'd done from fear of getting into trouble by disturbing a grave.

I'd be surprised if its 'initial' use had been for the Balcarres family, as 'Mind the camber!' - at each respective first step, in dulcet tones, or otherwise -, would never do. Roll out the barrel, da-da da da-da . . .

I'm always surprised the stone flags are still there! I would love real stone paving in my garden.... Far easier to keep clean and I love seeing them sparkle in the rain.

The Crawfords were well looked after in those days, after the journey through the plantations in their carriage,then down tree lined Wigan Lane, alighting at the reserved spot, ushered to their private benches, whereby the service in church would begin. It takes bus drivers all their time just to lower the step to the pavement when old folk are alighting from the bus, same on the train with wheelchairs. Only the other day a wheelchair user was complaining that not all trains have the ' slide attachment' on trains - to alight safely over the gap. Makes me wonder how they got on the train in the first place though, or did they wait for another train..... They didn't say!

Trains and their steps, Veronica? I almost got caught out by the step of a new fangled train at Liverpool about four years ago - Oops! Never been much of a dancer, but boy did I sort out that broken stride - Perhaps better than would Lester, if on a horse taken aback by a difficult course such as Epsom. Come to think of it I wouldn't mind having a deko on one of those thoroughbreds . . . just a canter, with stirrups high (Just like the master's.), and a flattering Gimcrack Away!

Philip I have a friend who managed to slip down the gap at a station where she lives in Surrey. Her son was telling me only the other day, she was badly bruised. Only for the help of a man who was getting off the train behind her - Lord knows what would have happened. She's only a very slight, seven stone lady never put any weight on from being young. Thank goodness she is recovering! Sometimes the gaps vary from station to station - so I've noticed.

Veronica.
Your friend would also have been confused by her accident; The remainder of her itinerary momentarily forgotten by her. But now she's recovering.