Photo-a-Day  (Tuesday, 13th February, 2024)

Although featured many times, the Whitesmiths Arms is a fine building and probably one of the oldest in the town and I do like these constant reminders Dennis.
When last featured I commented on the fact that Brick Kiln Lane had in the recent past been relocated from the left had side of the Whitesmiths to the right hand side.

That year 1685 saw the last pitched battle on English soil when the rebellious Duke of Monmouth fought the troops of James ll at the Battle of Sedgefield

When the time comes ..and it will…. that building will make a fine set of apartments. Just don’t leave it empty more than a week. Like
the other pub further along.

The place was possibly built in 1685, but the business certainly wasn't established then.
The building was originally a dwelling, and has been altered a great deal over the years.
Here is the Grade II listing . . .
"House, now public house. Probably late C17, enlarged and greatly altered. Handmade brick, the front and left return faced with scored stucco; slate roof and brick chimneys. Now double-depth with back extensions. EXTERIOR: 2-and-a-half storeys, with 4 1st-floor windows and 3 gables; moulded bands over ground and 1st floors (probably covering original brick banding), that over the ground floor now carrying a C20 full-width fascia. At ground floor the left half has a doorway to the left and 2 cross-windows and the right-hand half has a doorway between 2 similar cross-windows, all these windows with C20 leaded glazing. The 1st floor has 3 similar windows; and the attic gables have 4-pane sashes. All the windows have moulded sills and surrounds. Ridge chimney in centre, gable chimney to right. The right-hand return wall has a small blocked segmental-headed window close to the front corner, and three 2-light casements: one at attic level near the front, another at 1st floor level towards the rear, with a brick label over it, and the 3rd in the back extension. INTERIOR: c1700 doglegged staircase from ground floor to attic, with closed string, square newels, turned balusters and broad moulded handrail. Lobby to foot of staircase formed by wattle-and-daub partition. Art Nouveau style bar with mosaic decoration, formerly located in Glasgow. In attic, an upper-cruck roof truss approximately 2m from west gable, with small dorsals carrying the lower of 2 pairs of original purlins; at ground floor, boxing to beams which may conceal originals."

When I worked at Debenhams in 1973-1976 some of us used to go to The Whitesmiths for our dinner occasionally, although we mostly went to The White Horse, which was nearer, and served a very popular "ploughmans- and -chips"! When I see such an old pub as The Whitesmiths I always think of all the different fashions it must have seen through the years.

At the right of the building along the side, there are bricked up windows. I was told by a former landlord it was done to avoid paying window tax many years ago.

I didn’t realise just how old the pub is - it makes me want to go inside. I am in complete awe of the building it looks so smart and well maintained. All this history in Wigan which isn’t truly appreciated and treasured as it should be ..

Remember when Tom Leach was the landlord.

Thanks Tony L for that interesting and comprehensive history.

At the right of the building along the side, there are bricked up windows. I was told by a former landlord it was done to avoid paying window tax many years ago.

Jack you could be right - It was a banded tax according to the number of windows in the house. For example, for a house in 1747 with ten to 14 windows, the tax was 6d per window; it increased to 9d with more windows. Not long after its introduction, people bricked up their windows to avoid paying the tax.

Hence the phrase ' daylight robbery '

Where are you Mick......we need more of Shevy and sourounding areas. We seem to have gone quite around this part ofthe World.
In other words we need more various and different locations.

Dave Johnson, are you sure it was Tom Leach? I recall him as Sam Leach and he had a young son, Joe Leach. This would be the later part of the 1960’s and my memory is not too reliable. I think his son went to Thomas Moore school.

WW , if this is still an active pub I ask you to Keep Cash Alive when you pay !
Not everybody understands and uses the internet, many are horrified by it , so will have no idea what card or online banking is or how to use it. All they have learned and know is cash ! It is obvious to me they are trying to phase cash out whether we like it or not . I am sincerely sorry to ghost your picture Dennis

I agree Peter about Mick, he covered everything about Wigan and District. Always something different.

“Free the Shevy one”
We want more concrete blocks. Give us more derelict shops on King Street.
More pics of Shangri La Shevy is what we need. The ladies demand more insults.
“Free the Shevy one”

I’m missing the dandelions and frogs in murky ponds.
The sluchy paths along canals with rusty trolleys

Come come on all you historians, this building is not as old as you all think it is.

Why hey yuh missin dandelions , frogs and murky ponds and so on Veronica, get out there then.
Much better than the dark cobble back streets of Scholes.

It’s called being facetious Jack the Lad. Anyone would think only Mick can take a photo in other words…Folk should be grateful to anyone who sends a photo to P aD...if I lived in Wigan I would do-so.
Ps I don’t like frogs or Dandelions in the cracks of concrete…or rusty trolleys in’t cut. I don’t know why I just don’t. Loosen up Jack.
It’s just a bit of fun lad.