Wigan Album
Hawkley Hall
20 CommentsPhoto: Rev David Long
Item #: 34185
The Hall appears a number of times in the Album - including one which shows it heavily vandalised shortly before its demolition in about 1969. The story is that the developers of the new housing which surrounded it left it unprotected deliberately until its condition deteriorated so far that demolition was inevitable.
Spot on Rev David Long. It was indeed a Wigan Observer Special of back page photographs that appeared in the weekly Observer after the launch of the new Crabtree press and works at the start of 1966. Colour photographs on the front, back and centre pages too.
They were great times and readers loved it.
Another great one from Arnold Hall.
This photo brings back many fond memories for the hall used to be our old stomping ground back in the mid-1950s the lads i used to go around with were Geoff & Barry Lawless, Terry Caulfield ,Malcolm Hull and several other's for the only access to the Hall back then was known as Hawkley Hall Path and there was nothing else for miles and miles only farm fields , today you cannot visualise what it was back then .
I delivered papers there in 1964.
The article on the photo is wrong. Hawkley Hall was not at Worsley Mesnes. It was on a different estate altogether. It stood where Bransfield Close now is, just off Fulbeck Avenue, Hawkley.
Hindley Hall was the one at Worsley Mesnes.
I've sent an image of the old map of the area, Almighty Bruce - from it you can see that, geographically speaking, Hawley Hall could have been ascribed to either Goose Green or Worsley Mesnes. I can only conclude that the latter was used because that's how the area was known at the time. "Hawley Hall", as the name of an area presumably came after the estate around the site of the Hall was completed.
You're right about there being another Hindley Hall in the area... as near to Goose Green as to Worsley Mesnes settlements....
Hindley Hall is in Hall Lane, Aspull. BRUCE ALMIGHTY.
Predictive text doesn't appear to have Wigan locality recognition facility... 'Hawley' was typed as 'Hawley'!
I'm sure it said HAWKLEY with a K when I pressed Submit... but it still came through as HAWLEY! Let's see what happens this time!
Garry, you need to learn a bit of local history, owd lad. Read and inwardly digest.
David, Hawkley Hall and Hindley Hall were two different manor houses on two different estates belonging to different people.
Hindley Hall was not on Hawkley estate and Hawkley Hall was not on Worsley estate.
A bit like your house is not on your next door neighbours garden, and vice versa.
I don't think Hawkley estate and Worsley estate were ever held by the same people?
Worsley Mesnes locals called Hindley Hall Rigby's Farm
It's Worsley Mesnes we're talking about - not the estates of the respective Halls. Hawkley Hall is near the housing of Worsley Mesnes on Poolstock - that's why the newspaper ascribed it to "Worsley Mesnes" - so people reading the newspaper would know whereabouts it was. "Hawkley Hall" in "Hawkley Hall estate" would have told them nothing.
Bruce Almighty.....Hindley Hall, WN2 2SQ.
Well educated Rev.
We have to remember that this newspaper was printed in 1967, much has changed since then.
Description of areas could have been transformed to new titles.
As Rev David stated, newspaper wording makes the description easier to for its readers.
I could take you and show you exactly where Hawkley Hall stood. I saw the old footings of the hall myself.
And those who live in Bransfield Close wouldn't be too happy if you said they lived in Worsley Mesnes.
Rev David Long is a bit mixed up there. He doesn't know his Hawkley from his Hindley. And Garry still doesn't know what day it is.
David, anybody who doesn't know where Hawkley is, won't know where Worsley Mesnes is either. Even in 1967. You don't seem to know much yourself.
Would you say the Ben Jonson pub was in Worsley Mesnes too?
Almighty Bruce calm down you are ruining this great series of newspaper history. Let's all be thankful to see our Wigan past with these special photos.
The Wigan Grammar School 1952 intake list shows Frank Jameson, son of the Hawkley Hall based farmer, as living at Hawkley Hall, Worsley Mesnes.
Thank you Keith, I knew all along the Rev was right.
There used to be Jameson's Farm were Tesco Express is now. We demolished his barn for our " Bommie"
I remember Hawkley Hall as a young boy. Back in the late sixties when we played in what was then a ruined building. The hall had a few small farms one of which was Delph House Farm Marus Ave now demolished and Jamersons Farm. The Hall had 3 ponds nearby which had a good stock of fish including tench and perch.
Long summers and nothing but fields for miles
Hawkley hall estate was built just after the hall had dissapeared, We bought one of the first houses built on the estate. I used to cycle down the lane leading towards where the hall had been. As the powder works where built there. I worked on the case making dept. which was one of the buildings before the other areas beyond. Thats were the powder (exposive powder) was inserted into the case, For quarrys and mines.