Galleries demolition reveals something interesting

The present demolitions work on the the now former galleries has revealed something rather intriguing. No, nothing Roman, Saxon or Viking... not even mediaeval. But surprisingly it has revealed the tiles wall of the old arcade (the Smiths newsagent side). Amazingly this must have been built over (rather than removing) during the earlier 1970s centre precinct build. I do hope that someone is recording all this and every other aspect of the town's history. My dad's cousin (Frank Ryding) managed the Smiths newsagent back then in the arcade (he later opened his own stall in the market hall). The old arcade was a bit like Woolworths - you could buy virtually anything there in the tiny shops and stalls. It is very sad that we lost such a historic feature. Looking at old maps there was a pig market to lower end where the bottom Legs of Man was later built. It is worrying that these historic features are fast disappearing. I do hope that what we have left will be saved and favourably conserved.

See here

Yes, acknowledged but it's difficult to carry out archaeology without removing the more modern build first. I guess it should a favourable arrangement between all parties.

JR

In 1971 late 1971 I used to catch a school bus which twice a day went along Market Street in Wigan, and from the upstairs of that bus I watched the Wigan Centre Arcade (later called Marketgate) being built, and that yellow tiled wall was visible back then, it being gradually being covered up as the shopping centre was built, it opened in 1973 LINK

Thanks Tommy,
Good link. Market street had a few shoe shops. It also had a kind of art deco feel with the concrete canopies over the shops. It was rather sad the old arcade, commercial yard, etc was lost - history erased to make way for a new build. I guess people had differing views at the time... but this was just the beginning of the eradication of much of the town's history. I do hope we can save and celebrate the important buildings that still stand.