Wigan Album

Could it have been taken from Central Station or Station Rd.? The level is higher up behind the photographer.

Photograph taken from the banking of Central Station

The building with the wide-arched windows at ground level and ornate door in between them is Wigan Little Theatre on Crompton Street. I can't remember Central Station as I never went near it but I'm sure Veronica and Ron are correct with where the photo was taken from.

I would go with Ron's statement. The old station was higher up and further towards the town centre. Also, Station Road would be on higher ground and at a different angle.
Great photograph and thanks for uploading it and, thanks to your dad taking the photograph. Not everyone had a camera in those days - too expensive.

Michael, I'll try and break this down for you so that you can get some idea of where your father was when he took this photograph:
- Looking towards Central Park Rugby Ground (you mentioned) and identified by the four floodlights, which stood on the concrete ground at each corner of the pitch.
- The building in the distance, on the left, to the side of Central Park, is St. Mary's School.
- The street where the light coloured car is and the building/shop with the light/white front is Crompton Street.
- River Douglas to the right.
- The block of flats on the far right is Crompton House (flats).
- Wigan Little Theatre facing, at the side of the bridge over the river.
- The railway line which ran to and from Wigan Central Station is, I would say, just behind your father (I think, the station is more to your father's left.
- Station Road is also behind your father.
- To you father's right and slightly behind him, is the bottom end of Millgate and the road which runs up to Scholes.
- Scholes is over to the right.
- Wigan town centre is to the left.

To get a good idea of where your father was standing when he took this photograph, you need to look at road/street maps of Wigan of around that decade.
This area has changed a lot since the sixties: most of the buildings on the left have gone and Central Park, the railway line, Central Station have all totally gone with no obvious signs of them being there. Also, I am sure, Station Road has totally gone - there might be a short section still remaining, close to the bottom end of Millgate.
I think, St. Mary's School is still standing. The church (St. Mary's) is still standing and this is in the distance, far left.
But, Wigan Little Theatre is still there and, obviously, the River Douglas is still there. Additionally, Crompton House is still there. So, these would be the best to look for if you are viewing photographs from the eighties up to present day.
Good luck finding the exact location.

I would say it was from the end of Central Station.Have walked many times from the station to Central Park.

Hi and thank you, everybody!
Ian, I know the Little Theatre but didn't recognise it in the picture. It now makes absolute sense to me now from where the picture was taken and I can retrace it on Google Maps. (I was guessing at a wrong angle, rather from east to west...) Thank you!

You can just about see the Ball and Boot pub, photo taken on the railway embankment just after closure around November 1964.

its got to be from summer 1967 as thats when the floodlights were installed

This photo must have been taken circa 1967 as that is when Wigan rugby club had the floodlights installed.

This photograph was taken before River Way was built to divert southbound traffic through the centre of town. Crompton House flats have been built and Orchard House maisonette flats identical to those in Worsley Mesnes and Dumbarton Green, Beech Hill. St Mary's RC church and Wigan girls high school later Mab's Cross can also be seen. The white car in Crompton Street is an FD series Vauxhall Victor introduced in 1967. Alliance Street was behind Wigan Little Theatre.

The line completely closed on November 1964, this is why the cameraman is on the embankment for a better view.
The photo could well be 1967_68.
Central station was completely demolished in 1973.