Wigan Album

Has anyone any information on the history of this interesting building, how old, who lived there, is it still there ? I have looked it up on Google with no luck.

thats gorgeouse!!! i wonder if it still stands???

there is a butterfly farm at pendlebury lane haigh wn2 1lt if this helps but dont know if its connected to your photo in any way

This pic is on page155 of Donald Anderson's 'Life and Times at Haigh Hall (in Wigan Library). It says it was on Senacre Lane.

For first 3 years of my life, up to about 1956, I lived with my Mum & Dad in one of the cottages that made up Butterfly Hall. Its address was Pendlebury Lane, Haigh. I have a newspaper clipping from the Evening Chronicle dated April 4, 1959 with a photo of it being pulled down. It was then about 300 years old. The clip says it was built with wattle and daub and there was only one other example of this feature surviving in the locality. The hall was situated just about 100 years west of the canal bridge on Pendelbury/Senecar Lane. You can tell the spot as there are a series of bushes and (I think) a fenced off area. My Dad used to work at Kirkless pit . He'd cycle from Butterfly Hall along the tow path to work in a morning then he and his bike would often get a lift back on a coal barge !

Hi GeoffP, are you able to scan and post your newspaper cutting for the hall or email it to me please?
I own the land to the rear of what I have been told is Butterfly Hall. The residents and postmen on Pendlebury Lane refer to my land as Butterfly Farm but as yet I can find no record of an actual farm having been present on the land?
The scrubland you mention is fenced off and I believe it is the site of Butterfly Hall but a close friend has done some investigating and has told me Butterfly Hall was located on Sennicar Lane and it was some properties called Pendlebury Cottages that were present on the land infront of mine? i'm very interested to confirm one way or another. Many Thanks.

Hi Jacquie, Sorry only just seen your comment. Will see what I can do regarding the newspaper clip. We always referred to Butterfly Hall as being on Pendlebury Lane. That's the answer I always gave when I was a young nipper apparently! It was certainly just on the west side of the canal bridge and as far as I can work out, the fenced off area is the only place it can be. I'll dig out the cuttings I have and do best to send copies to you.

My cousin Arthur Pendlebury (deceased) lived there at one time, I once paid a visit there.

Born their 1932 lived their for 17 years first house on left

I moved into the right hand cottage with my parents in 1947. The centre was occupied by Ashcrofts who had two daughters Ruth and Barbara. The cottage on the left of the photograph was occupied by Bowdlers. We left in 1950.

In 1900, my grandfather, John Bretherton married Annie Orritt at St Wilfred’s and one of these cottages became their first home. He worked at Elms Colliery where he was in charge of the pit ponies and he was also the personal coachman of the pit owner who lived at Thornhill. James, their first son was born there in the same year and the couple subsequently had seven more children. As the family grew they eventually ended up at Old Elms Farm which stood on the site of what is now 332 Wigan Lane. The now disused site where the petrol station used to be on the corner of Walter Scott Ave was the farm yard. My Uncle John, the second son, eventually took up the franchise and ran the station with his wife, Connie (Masters.)
By the time the family moved to the farm, John, no longer employed by the pit owner was running his own business as a coal dealer. He was believed to be the first Wigan coal dealer to use a motorised delivery vehicle, but he still delivered to his customers with the horse and cart as he couldn’t drive. Sons, James, who had returned in 1918 after the end of the war (he’d lied about his age to enlist) and John did all the driving.

Re: my post above.
My name is Rao not Tao....auto correct!
My mother was Nellie Bretherton, born 1913 but, not, I believe in this cottage. She married William Grocott.