Wigan Album
Gathurst
13 Comments
Photo: Ron Hunt
Item #: 1140
can someone settle a family arguement - where exactly is this taken, from what aspect, please, thank you
If you walk up to Dean Lock from Gathurst you are coming from the area in the back of the picture. The House (lockkeepers cottage) is still there but only one chimney remains. The bridge is demolished and the area to the front of the picture is a basin on the canal no longer the River Douglas which is now half a field away.
A correction is needed. I should say walking from the Navigation Pub in Gathurst you would be heading towards Appley Bridge and come in from the right of the picture.
As you pass the gatekeeprs cottage on your left you turn left and around a canal basin the path is exactly over the original site of the bridge.
So the photo is taken from the back of the lockkeepers cottage, the 'new' set of 2 locks being obscured by the lockkeepers cottage. Nowdays where this photo was taken from is just a field?
O.S. map of 1930s, which I have, confirms the view as looking NW from the high sloping field south of the locks house. The house in the distance top left is part of Dean Cottages, long since demolished.
Taken when my Great Grandad (Thomas Hargreaves)was Lock Keeper at the time. It's dated about 1920 - 1922.
The photographer's position (as it is today) is right up against the M6 carriageway fence northbound on the south side of the viaduct as the bridge metal span starts.
I believe my Grand Father was the last Lock keeper Robert (Bob) Medcalf
Dean Lock House on Gathurst Lane was Occupied in 1922 by the Tickle family. William Tickle's burial record shows his abode in feb 1922 was Lock House Gathurst
is the house in top left corner the old lock house ,which now only the bridge remains.anybody know when the lock house was moved to its present site.
Dean lock house is the original lock keepers cottage. The old locks to the side of the house became obsolete when the canal was extended and the river Douglas was diverted. They are buried in the garden. That is why the house faces towards the river so boats could be observed on the river.Also the third chimney to the lock room facing the canal has been rebuilt during recent renovations.
Mike Medcalf, your Grandad was the last lock keeper at Gathurst Lock House. He was brought up by my Great Great Grandparents at a house at Orrell Post. They were Allen Hampson and Mary Hampson (maiden name Medcalf). Both his parents died young so he was brought up by his Aunt Mary Hampson along with his younger sister also called Mary. The Medcalfs were from Liverpool originally.
I lived in the Lock House late 60's to mid 70's. I believe the last lockeeper to live at the house was a Mr Slater. Then Ken from Shevington took over. ( surname unremembered ).After no lockeeper employed.
My Uncle Ken lived at the cottage with his wife and son, Martin.
My dad used to take my brother and I to visit in early 80's