Wigan Album

This is all that remains of the men’s urinal on Marsh Lane off Standishgate leading to Water Street, not sure when it was bricked up but it is set into the side wall of the now Ukulele Pub formerly The White Horse only the stone pillars and lintel visible.
In the 1950’s it was still in use, when I was at St John’s School I used to collect the school keys from caretaker who lived on one of the cottages on the right hand side further down.
I wonder if anything remains behind that wall?

Colin, in 1890 terraced houses went down from the White Horse to water Street and this was a tunnel through to White Horse Yard. By 1910 the first house was demolished, which gave access to the yard and the tunnel partially blocked to leave a recess on Marsh Lane.

Just hope there was no one answering the call of Nature when the wall was bricked up Colin. I’ve heard many a tale where skeletons have been found behind bricked up walls. ( just a bit of light hearted nonsense…)

Veronica, if you have the courage to walk down Marsh Lane late one dark, still and quite night, pause at the side of the wall and listen carefully, you will hear a slight shuffle and a gentle tap tap tapping from the inside followed by the soft cry of 'Let me out, Let me out'.

Colin I remember in my youth walking home late at night - I always had to be home for 11 00. It was quite safe then. However, You wouldn’t get me walking around Wigan late at night these days or anywhere for that matter.
A few years back I had been to Edinburgh on the train for the day and walked down King St as I had left my car in Hardybutts. It was about 10 30, It was a Saturday night - I wasn’t prepared for what I saw! ..Girls sat in the middle of the road in skimpy frocks with legs like wrestlers and everything on show …no thanks. Glad I had my blossoming day in the mid sixties. I don’t know if King St is still ‘Club Land’ or not nowadays it’s horrible in daylight!
I do see a lot of young ones on the train going to Manchester on Saturday afternoon, so that must be the in place to go these days.

Veronica, how right you are about Wigan at night, I went in one early evening last week and got off the bus in Crompton Street. No decent people around, youths kicking bottles up and down Standishgate, no Tree and no Christmas lights on the Market Place, only about 20 feral kids 8 to16 screaming and running amok. Caught the next bus out to Chorley, what a contrast!

Not the Wigan (or Scholes) I remember by any stretch of imagination.

Do you think this could be the oldest remnant of men’s public urinals in Wigan?

I think there is one in the Parish Church.that may be a little older, Colin.