Photo-a-Day  (Wednesday, 15th April, 2020)

Saving Wigan from the floods, a great piece of engineering.

I have lived in Wigan all my life and never been quite sure where Bottling Wood is! Is it around the Whelley area?

Irene, on the Geographia Street plan of Wigan circa 1963 that I have, Bottling Wood is shown as the area between the River Douglas /Yellow Brook /Whelley Hospital.The actual wood used to border the Yellow Brook leading to the lower plantations.Some of the trees that were here up to 2009 had to be felled to make way for Phase 2 of the Wigan Flood Alleviation scheme. (More of this will be shown later on Album Work Wigan FAS)
Nature has reclaimed the site since 2011.

Irene, If I was you and had never seen this area I would jump into the car and get down there to have a look

It may or may not have saved Wigan from the floods but it's ugly, I remember how it used to be, it was lovely, I was shocked when I saw how it is now compared to what it was years ago. I felt totally disorientated...
Irene you are correct....

Thankyou for the replies, everyone.

Mick do you class driving to the flood defences has essential travel?

Veronica its safe to walk down there now,its got nice path along the river into town and into Haigh Plantatiions so its attracting more and more people

Last time I looked Mick a couple of years ago it was all overgrown, reminded me of 'the triffids'. I wish I hadn't gone , it spoiled my memories!

PeterP you dont need to go today, but she can get down there when we are allowed out.

Exactly Veronica, it was a haven for wildlife around there, there was remains of gardens of the farmhouse that was there at one time which still had plants, also a flowering currant that must have been around fifteen feet tall and was always full of buzzing bees in spring. These bees probably came from the hives belonging to Bob Magee which were only a stones throw away off Coppull Lane.

There are some photos in the Album-Places-Coppull Lane. The one entitled me and my dog shows when the council initially began to destroy the area using a land scraper to level off the land.

Yes I have seen the photo before Cyril its really good, I have commented, that was how I remembered it..I wish they would leave things alone...

Cyril take off you rose tinted specs, in them days the hillside was used as a dumping ground for Whelleyites rubbish.
Ive done a bit of courting down when Ive got off with a Whelley woman and can remember seeing prams, bikes ,fridges and mattress,

We used to roli poli down the Camels Hump there was never any rubbish then in the 50's or 60's for that matter Mick.

Wigan can never flood to high above see level a wast of 💰

If you go to Album (Work-Wigan Flood Alleviation Scheme) item #31599 taken in October 2009 prior to the contractor starting on site. I also put on P-A-D 09/10/19 a similar view taken in 2018.

Seems to me when men meddle with nature to 'improve' they manage to create
' carabuncles'... Which nature then in wisdom covers to some extent - but cannot hide those ugly metal contraptions and step like bumps!... Which may be feats of engineering to some but offend the eye rather than blend with the landscape.
Just my opinion...

Veronica I believe it was designed by a woman

Speaking collectively Mick - I still feel the same if it was a 'woman'...