Wigan Album

Another photograph of the area, there ain't many from back in the day.

Some of the farm buildings were demolished to make way for Beech Hill Avenue to join Woodhouse Lane. I've had a look at the 1909 map and you can make out the 3 segments of the above building. If I'm right, the farm as we know it today can just be made out far left.

However, I could be wrong! Brilliant piece of history Ron.

From the old map it looks as if two sets of building from the farm were demolished - a set of outbuildings, perhaps barns, where Beech Hill Avenue was widened as its continuation down to Woodhouse Lane was constructed - and, I think, the two sections on the left in this image. they faced Beech Hill Lane. If you look at Google Earth you'll see there's a stone wall runs from Beech Hill Avenue northwards along the Lane. Behind the more northerly section, which has a gap, perhaps the farmyard entrance, now filled with a brick section, are 1920s houses, which I think are on the site of the two sections to the left. The southern section of the wall has two whitewashed stone buildings behind it - gable ends facing the Lane. The left-hand of those buildings has a line of stone above the windows - which are similar to those seen here - including on the bit of the right-hand building which is in this shot. The only problem is that in this view the upper windows carry on to the end of that line of stone - whereas there is a gap before the first window on the building you can see now... but... the same thing happens on the other section of the farm still standing, well to the right of this scene, and the upper windows are offset in relation to the ground floor windows - which may mean a window has been filled in in each case.

I must go and have a good look tomorrow..I'm only next door but two. from it.

Andy, David, thanks for your observations. I bet that wedding cost a fair bit, They don't appear to be paupers...
I wouldn't have liked to have got on the wrong side of the woman middle, second from top row..

After reading David's post, I'm more inclined to agree.

What a great photo to have. Does anyone know who the family were ?

https://static.s123-cdn-static-d.com/uploads/3625811/normal_601af4567347d.pdf

Thanks winnie could this be the wedding of,
"John Henry the second son married Minnie Hickson in 1898"

Brilliant photo for Ancestry purposes, a treasure for any descendants….

Only pity it wasn't named... Maureen Darbyshire who lives in Sale sent the photograph to me. Along with another one, Which I'll put on the site. I've emailed her to ask if she has any information on this image and the other image before I post it.

It's not Beech Hill Farm, it's a gathering of the Gill family at Giants Hall Farm on Standish Wood Lane.

Graham - I agree. Although the images for Giant's Hall Farm in the Album throw up a difference or two - such as the open nature of the ground in front of the group, and the lack of a door to the right of the windows in the centre building - the position of the drainpipe to the far left, the detailing in the brickwork, and the juxtaposition of the three sections of the building seem to me to carry the argument.
Beech Hill Farm might have been built around the same time, judging by that stone line over the windows, and perhaps by the same builder.

Hello Rev David. It is definitely Giants Hall Farm. I already had a copy of this pic. This same photo of the Gill family is hung up in the living room at Giants Hall. It was taken on the front lawn in the very early 1900"s, a porch has been built since so the profile looks different. Another member of the Gill family lived at Beech Hill Farm at the same time. Giants Hall was rebuilt, the original well before Beech Hill Farm. Cheers