Wigan Album

Interesting picture Graham. The colourisation makes it look more modern but the tramlines really do date it.
Notice the lady in the wheelchair, even that looks modern.
I must look for the house on my way into Wigan today, hard believe that a pub stood in that location.

The brewery was founded by Wilder Brothers in 1842 and went into receivership in 1907. The Beehive is listed on their records.

Colin, I thought it was possibly a little girl standing next to a pram outside the pub. When I was a baby ( in the 1940’s), my grandad used to push me up the road in my pram and leave me outside the front of the Boars Head while he went in for a drink! He apparently used to sit by the window so he could keep an eye on me. He eventually got reprimanded by my mother and the practice stopped!

Interesting picture Graham. The colourisation makes it look more modern but the tramlines really do date it.
Notice the lady in the wheelchair, even that looks modern.
I must look for the house on my way into Wigan today, hard believe that a pub stood in that location.

Is Old Lane on this side of the pub or the other ? I'm just trying to place it in my mind's eye with what's there today. I'll have a walk round later on the other side of the road from the perspective of the photographer for a proper look.

Colin, I thought it was possibly a little girl standing next to a pram outside the pub. When I was a baby ( in the 1940’s), my grandad used to push me up the road in my pram and leave me outside the front of the Boars Head while he went in for a drink! He apparently used to sit by the window so he could keep an eye on me. He eventually got reprimanded by my mother and the practice stopped!

Old Lane is on the left hand side of Wigan Lane as you go towards Boars Head. My old house was number 296 if that helps with the positioning.

Always wondered why so many houses on Wigan Lane were built so close to the road with small front gardens, the widening answers my question.
I had a great aunt who lived behind what is now The Brocket in the 1950's, she always referred to Mesnes Road as New Road, probably because the road was originally quite narrow leading up to the Cherry Gardens and when widened and all the new houses built in the early 1900's everyone thought of it as a new road.

I would say that this pub was further down than where the current Old Lane is situated? If you look on Google maps you can still see the houses just past the pub and the lay out is very similar. One of those houses would be where Jennifer Moss the Coronation Street actress lived. Number 300 I think.

Rich, I lived at number 296 which is clearly visible on the extreme left of the photo. Being built in the late 1890’s it has a very distinctive style and is unmistakable in this photo. Jennifer Moss, as you say, lived at 300 and we grew up together. The pub was on the corner of Old Lane and I know someone who lives in a house on its original site. They still dig up bits of old bottles and jars in their garden

This pub is rendered on the south and front but the north left to the elements. The brickwork looks very old .

Hi, Graham.
I'm still not convinced that this pub was situated where the current Old Lane is situated. The neaest house to the gas lamp with the white bay window is number 300 Wigan Lane.
Today between number 300 and up to the end of the pub there are 6 large spacious semi and semi detatched houses with plenty land. There just does not seem to be the space on this photo to build 6 large houses in such minimal space?

Rich, I lived at number 296 which is clearly visible on the extreme left of the photo. Being built in the late 1890’s it has a very distinctive style and is unmistakable in this photo. Jennifer Moss, as you say, lived at 300 and we grew up together. The pub was on the corner of Old Lane and I know someone who lives in a house on its original site. They still dig up bits of old bottles and jars in their garden

The last house prior to reaching Old Lane is 312.
The point I'm making is the Old Lane what exists today, been moved to its present location from its original one? They moved Brick Kiln Lane in Wigan a few yards up the road to its present location. Old Lane now is not a Lane as such, its just a short cut ginnel path to Whitley Crescent.

Rich. Thanks for your comments. You’ve made me have a good look at the area again to try to pinpoint the exact position of the Beehive. I don’t think Old Lane has been moved . It was always just a track leading down to the playing fields and Scouts Hill. I could climb over our garden wall , go through the farmers field and join Old Lane. Even in the 1940’s/50’s it was difficult to ride my bike down as it was so narrow. Going back to the Beehive, I found another photo looking at the inn for the opposite direction. Just beyond the inn you can see a row of cottages which on old maps from the late 1890’s are named as Larches Cottages. It’s possible that there was still some vacant land beyond the inn before Old Lane which would explain why it looks closer my family home at 296. (Watch out for the photo on this site!)

Many thanks also to yourself, Graham for youre informative and very interesting comments.
But you can see what I mean about there not being enough land between the pub and the last house in the photo to build six very spacious houses with gardens.

I looked up Larches Cottages on the Censers and very near is a beer house it's known as a beer house(Harks Cottage) for a time ,then in 1881 its known as the Beehive Name John Hart
Age 57
Estimated Birth Year abt 1824
Relationship to Head Head
Gender Male
Where born Haigh, Lancashire, England
Civil parish Wigan
County/Island Lancashire
Country England
Street Address 1 Hark Cottages ((Bee))
Marital Status Married
Occupation Inn Keeper Household Members (Name) Age Relationship
John Hart 57 Head
Helen Hart 32 Daughter
Thos. Hart 29 Son John was also there is 1871

Interesting photo. The Pub sat well in front of the line of the new houses being built on either side and it probably became a casualty of Wigan Lane being widened, regardless of the Brewery becoming bankrupt.
It also looks like its set below footpath level which could have been a result of Wigan Lane being levelled up to allow Trams to navigate it.

I live at 312 Wigan lane
Thank you all for the fascinating information

Hello Judith. I think it was Paul (your son?) who told me about the odd bits of pottery and glass in the gardens on the site of the Beehive. I hope I’ve remembered correctly

I live at 310, and the previous owners of 308 used to dig up old bottles etc in their back garden. I think that's pretty well where the Beehive was, as there was a row of cottages at the top of Old Lane then, and presumably their land would stretch back over where 310/312 now stand.