Welcome to Wigan!
Wigan is an industrial town in Greater Manchester in the north of England. It's 17 miles northwest of central Manchester and until 1974 was part of Lancashire. In 2011 the population was 103,608.
Wigan is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, 16 miles (25.7 km) to the southeast, and Liverpool, 17 miles (27 km) to the southwest. The towns of Bolton to the northeast, and Warrington to the south are 10 miles (16 km) and 12 miles (19 km) away respectively. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and its administrative center. The town has a population of 103,608, and the wider borough of 318,100. Wigan was in the territory of the Brigantes, an ancient Celtic tribe that ruled much of what is now northern England. The Brigantes were subjugated in the Roman conquest of Britain and the Roman settlement of Coccium was established where Wigan lies.
Wigan was incorporated as a borough in 1246, following the issue of a charter by King Henry III of England. At the end of the Middle Ages, it was one of four boroughs in Lancashire established by Royal charter.
The Industrial Revolution saw a dramatic economic expansion and rapid rise in population. Wigan became a major mill town and coal mining district, at its peak, there were 1,000 pit shafts within 5 miles (8 km) of the town center. Coal mining ceased in the later 20th century.
Wigan Pier, a wharf on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, was made famous by the writer George Orwell. In his book The Road to Wigan Pier, Orwell highlighted the poor working and living conditions of inhabitants in the 1930s. Following the decline of heavy industry, Wigan Pier's warehouses and wharves became a local heritage centre and cultural quarter. The DW Stadium is home to Wigan Athletic Football Club and Wigan Warriors Rugby League Football Club.