Photo-a-Day  (Friday, 13th January, 2017)

Good photo of the back of Dukes Row and Moss Pit Row. Dukes Row did not have those gardens at the back wall until some time after the WW2 and the horses or cows used to graze right up to the windows, a bit of a shock when you went to the sink and met a cow full face.

Thanks Dave ! this photo brings back fond memories of my teenage years in the 60s. Each evening I would call for my girlfriend who lived in the cottages on the right, Moss Pit Row. The cottages have changed somewhat with rear gardens and in one case I can see a loft conversion. The old winding house visible between the two rows. I wonder if the Dukes head is still on the end cottage. Incidentally, in 1969 we could have bought one of those cottages for the grand sum of £600 would you believe. Thanks for the memory Dave.

Bet there is a good covering of snow this morning on the land -which inevitably means a standstill everywhere. Good picture of another beauty spot in Wigan.

I wonder why they called it Dukes Row

David, interesting fact, these cottages were built about 1754 the stone used was hewn from a local quarry, would this have been Highfield Delph I wonder !!. Originally named Fothershaw Row renamed at the end of the 1800s I think. The effigy on the end cottage was that of the Duke of Montrose, a early member of the Crawford family I believe. Built by the Crawford Estate perhaps to house miners for the pit.

It looks lovey and peaceful while the sheep are grazing.

It's a lovely photo,of a lovely area.It looks such a rural scene you sometimes find it hard to believe that Aspull and Haigh have an industrial past.k7pz4

The stone probably came from the quarry on the Haigh Estate.

It reminds me of the words, "Sheep May Safely Graze", (not sure where that comes from....a poem, maybe, or a painting? Someone will know). Anyway, a lovely scene, and Ken R's words in the first comment put me in mind of my daughter Ashley; she lives on The Isle of Lewis and she and her husband often get sheep at their door, staring in! She gives them all names, and her favourite is called Doris!

Remember the cows,my late uncle Thomas lived at number two Moss Pit Row ,my auntie still does ,had one or two broken window panes by the cows before the gardens were added,I remember one cow had its head through the kitchen window drinking out of the sink lol. Memories eh,Ken and Walt and Julie, hope your keeping well.Great photo David.

The Duke's head is still there, or was not long ago.

Irene, 'Sheep May Safely Graze' is a cantata by Bach.

Copy and paste link into your browser bar: https://youtu.be/WocpZrOp1Io

Sit back and relax Irene "Sheep May Safely Graze". Bach Cantata 208 . Have 5 mins to listen on YouTube.

Nice to see the sheep,it won't be long before the newly born will be released,was there an old pit shaft found in one of the gardens a few years ago.

Thanks Cyril and Vb. x.

Maurice, it was the house with the winding wheel in the garden, I was there for something in the 1980s and the coal board was there filling the old shaft in with tons of concrete.

This was originally the site of the Fothershaw Pit. The pit was dug down to the Great Haigh Sough after the Sough was extended from the Park Pit in the Plantations to Aspull Pumping Pit.

Thanks Cyril,it doesn't seem so long ago,time flies.

We have 5 Suffolk sheep, beautiful animals. Anyone who thinks sheep aren't intelligent know very little about them!

This is a lovely photo, thanks David.

In 1851 my several times great grandfather, Robert,lived in Dukes Row with, at the time,his wife Margaret and six children. Can't have been a lot of room!!

Pat..I'm sure they're intelligent,I love all animals ,and haven't found one yet that's not intelligent..some have more brains than humans.

It was Fothershaw Row in the 1841 census

How true Maureen.

There's 27 sheep in the photo.....

I tried to count them as well Gary zzzzzzzz 20 zzzzzzzzzz 21 zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz my goodness is there zzzzzzzzzzzzz I'll try again tomorrow zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz good night all zzzzzzzzzz.

HA ha I like it Walt, just a bit of fun.

Fond memories living at 10 Dukes row in the 60s.
Cows licking putty off the windows no toilet, just a potty. Coal under the stairs, but some lovely interesting people in the row always willing to help.