Wigan Album

Note the old 'dirt rucks' under the bridge on the left hand side. These would have been behind Ryland's Mill, where there used to be an old shaft. Were they from the Gidlow and Swinley collieries?

Is the photo not taken looking towards Swinley?

Not sure now you mention it Ron, but I thought the long stretch of terraced roofs in the background was Barnsley Street.

I think it is looking towards Swinley. The bus is heading to Beech Hill (judging by the sign on the front).

The shadows also suggest that the bus is going towards Beech Hill

The bus is going to Beech Hill, part of the bridge not used on Beech hill side, the railway under the bridge went to Gidlow Mill,the bit to the left curved round a lodge to Rylands Crossing

It's looking towards Swinley - the pit heaps in view were not at the back of Rylands Mill - that's on the other side of the road and out of shot. I have a picture of that area taken in about 1965 which i'll post up. The pit heaps in view were redeveloped for the houses in Queensway to be built. There was a group of buildings under the the bridge and to the left (out of shot) called Buckley Houses.

I think this is taken in 1939 - the film 'The Four Feathers' was only made in that year

I am sure this view is looking towards Swinley. Don't think it can be as late as 1939, since there is no sign of the houses which face what is now the college campus, or the ones which back onto them (Langdale Ave) A relative lived in one of these and it was a 1934 build. Similarly, I doubt it was as early as 1928 since there is an advert for the Princes cinema on the bridge and, considering the architectural style of this cinema, I would not have thought it would yet be built in 1928.

Those railway lines were still visible on the road surface in the late 60s.

Taken from Buckley Street looking towards Swinley?mesnes park. On the right was the railway club. I used to live nearly opposite where it was taken on the left. The track went through my back garden and up to Swinley lane and onto Gidlow Pits.

As a rider to my comment of April of 2010, I have just read an item about The Princes Cinema (advertised on the billboard in this picture)in a new book entitled Nostalgic Wigan. This article gives the date when The Princes was opened by Anna Neagle as 1935.