Wigan Album
standishgate
15 Comments
Photo: Keith
Item #: 22980
Two photos taken in Standishgate in the 1800's. The top one is from Bob Blakeman's book "Wigan - A Historical Souvenir" and the second is gleaned from the internet.
The top photo has a couple of signs, which you will have to take my word for it, says "Highton" and underneath a smaller sign saying OLD RAG SHOES.
I think the photos are of the same area of Standishgate but the top one is taken from further away and there also seems to be a hen wandering around in the roadway.
Bob Blakeman refers to the top one as "Little London" an area of slum housing built behind middle-class residencies in Standishgate.
I notice the top photo does not have a gas lamp while the bottom one does and it seems as if some building improvements have taken place in the bottom photo compared to the top. I'd say the top photo is the older of the two.
What puzzles me a little are the lintels above the windows in the large building at the top of both photos, they seem different in both photos - I would not have expected those to have changed. However the sign for Highton is there in both.
I think you are right about the top photo being the older, Keith.
On the 1845 6 inch OS Map, an Independent Chapel is shown where the railings are in the top pic, but this has disappeared by the time of the 1894 25 inch OS map, and buildings are shown on their location.
What an intriguing photo! If it is the exact same location in both, the scale seems confusing.. does the top photo have a house on the very left which is gone in the lower photo..(and in its place, the brick building on left in the bottom pic having been added at some time before lower pic was taken?). And why the tiny window added in the top right corner of the lower pic? Doorways changed around, and is the man in top pic leaning against something? Could it be a previous "light" pole before the gas lamp in bottom pic? LOVE the chicken!
I don't think these photos are the same location. There are too many differences, not just the windows of the tall building.
Keith, I think they must be different ares of Standishgate, the sign on the top one is over a doorway on the bottom one it's over a ginnel .The large building,not only are the lintel different there is a small window at the top of the gable . The buildings just below,on examination the configuration is completely at variance with each other . I have seen these photographs before in seperate books and have alway thought them the same buildings ,but being able to compere them side by side you are able to pick out the differences . Thank you for posting them together, its been like doing one of those picture puzzles ,Spot the Difference. Hope you are keeping well.Regards,Tom.
There seems to be a window and a chimney missing on the gable end of the three storey building too.
It looks to me like the smallest far right 'hovel' seen on the older picture may have been demolished and replaced by a newer 'middle class' residence? This would explain the difference in window style / shape and lintels. Plus the relative position of Highton's to the start of the bigger houses. Just a guess?
The 'newer' middle cass building is still there on Google maps. It's opposite St Mary's church. It's boarded up and in a bad state.
Having looked on modern day google maps I’m coming to the conclusion that the two large buildings are not the same. I think the top photo has the building opposite the present day Royal Oak pub, in the lower photo the building is opposite St Mary’s RC church. This is based entirely on the shape of the lintels above the windows.
Keith I don't think these are the same buildings there are too many differences.
The 'residence' mentioned by Carol seems to be 118 Standishgate which can be found on the Save Wigan website.
Carol and Andrew, there is a photo on Photo-a-Day at
http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/photoaday.php?photo=2012-11-19
My friend Gillian and I used to take a shortcut down an entry called Little London on our way home from WGHS to the Market Square to catch the Rainford (Ribble) bus home.
Thank you everyone for you responses. If you now "take" the top photo, and position to the left of the bottom one we should have a correct and wider view of Standishgate - albeit with a substantial portion of one of the buildings. "missing" and a poor match from the perspective point of view - nevertheless I think it's probably the "right" positioning for the two different buildings.
Inside the Royal Oak today there are pics from the same or similar era which look to be straight opposite the ones posted above.
In the lower photograph, the building on the left is the Whitesmith's Arms, which takes its name from the business on the right.