Life On The Canal - Wigan, UK - UK Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

The First part of the board is about a bargee from the year 1880 and his horse Sam. It is in a Lancashire dialect but should still be understandable.

LIFE ON THE CANAL
AS TOLD BY A BARGEE CIRCA 1880.

"A clap an' Sam's off - pullin' 25 ton. He's fast thar knows. Four miles an hour once he's got goin'.

Most of us bargees or canal boat workers were born and live on the canal, or the 'cut' as we call it round here.

Canals across the country are different widths. The Leeds & Liverpool Canal is one of the widest so we use bigger boats. This means we can take double the amount of cargo from the mills to the factories and docks.

The horse drawn barges carry everything from coal and cotton to stone and salt. We often join barges together, sometimes two or three at a time. When they're not working the horses rest in stables along the canal: there's one just on the other side of this bridge.

We're proud of how smart our horses look in their polished leathers and brasses.

If a horse falls into the 'cut' we have to guide it to a 'pull out' - a cobbled ramp every couple of miles along the canal. There were one next to Changeline Bridge, but it's gone now.

For most part it's a grand life on t' boats. It's the slow pace and fresh air that does it for me."

These days the canal is no longer used commercially, although it is extremely popular with leisure boaters. The wharves around here are no no longer used to load and unload cargoes, and the bargee is looking over a much quieter scene than what he would have seen in 1880.

The other part of the board is about the area around the board.

POTTERY ROAD BRIDGE (1816)

The Pottery Road Bridge (or Changeline Bridge) and the towpath were designed to allow the horse towing the barge to change canal banks without having to be unhitched.

Rope rollers stopped the ropes from twisting and tearing as the horse moved from bank to bank. You can see some replica rollers under the bridge.

The last horse-drawn commercial short boat to pass under the bridge was said to be 'The Parbold' (1960) carrying sugar.

THE TERMINUS WAREHOUSE - NUMBER 1 WIGAN PIER (1777)

The building with the double arches is the Terminus Warehouse. It stored grain, sugar, spices and dried fruit.

Barges sheltered under the arches while the cargo was loaded and off-loaded.

After falling into severe disrepair, the warehouse was rebuilt brick by brick.

WAREHOUSES - NUMBERS 2 & 3 WIGAN PIER (1890s)

These warehouses stored flour, grain, spices, cotton and even cement. The goods would be picked up and dropped into the sheltered barges from hoists fixed under the wooden canopies.

The warehouses were restored between 1984 and 1986.

The housed the 'Way We Were' Heritage Centre and other features of the Wigan Pier heritage attraction until 2007.

Type of Historic Marker: Large information board Historical Marker Issuing Authority: British Waterways (now the Canal and River Trust) Give your Rating: Age/Event Date: Not listed Related Website: Not listed

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