Wigan Album

Could be pre WWI, judging by the sun bonnet the girl looking over the hedge is wearing.

Where abouts in Digmoor would this be, is it still there?

It was at the top of Daniels Lane after the first set of houses on the right if you travel from the fire station end. It closed in 1967 and was left derelict until it was pulled down about 1972/3. I think there's a housing estate there now. Mr Alker was head at it's closure (he's on one of the other photos)and the pupils either went to Little Digmoor School or Bishop Martin

I attended Digmoor School between 1952 & 59. The infants classroom is on the left of the photo and there is a wall extending from the far side of the classroom towards the road. This wall separated the infant playground from the senior playground which was on the far side of the wall. During my time there the wall was removed along with a wall at the front of the school. The railings seen on the "mid 50s or later" photo were erected. Later the flagged yard was tarmaced. The hedge shown on this photo appears to be along the adjacent track to the playing field. I can`t recall there ever being a hedge there in my time suggesting it must be pre 1952. I am not convinced the child in the playground is wearing a bonnet, I rather think the child is standing with hands clasped on their head.

Mick, you may well be correct in saying the photo is pre WW1. My mother went to Digmoor school between 1926 & 35 and can`t remember a hedge down the side of the playground either.

The school was smaller than this when it was built in the 1890's, the gable to the right being built sometime before 1925. The wall might therefore have been there to separate the girls from the boys