RETRO: Wigan mills

They were the engine room of Wigan’s economy for generations and employed large parts of the local population (particularly women). And our photographers regularly visited these workplaces for various features in decades past.

By Michelle Adamson

Published 26th Feb 2023, 12:30 BST

Here is a nostalgic selection.

Eckersleys Mill, Swan Meadow Road, Wigan, still in full production in 1967. The cotton mill finally closed down in the early 1970s.

1. RETRO

Eckersleys Mill, Swan Meadow Road, Wigan, still in full production in 1967. The cotton mill finally closed down in the early 1970s. Photo: Frank Orrell

Workers at Eckersleys Mill, Swan Meadow Road, Wigan, still in full production in 1967. The cotton mill finally closed down in the early 1970s.

2. RETRO

Workers at Eckersleys Mill, Swan Meadow Road, Wigan, still in full production in 1967. The cotton mill finally closed down in the early 1970s. Photo: Frank Orrell

Time for a mug of tea at Eckersleys Mill, Swan Meadow Road, Wigan, still in full production in 1967. The cotton mill finally closed down in the early 1970s.

3. RETRO

Time for a mug of tea at Eckersleys Mill, Swan Meadow Road, Wigan, still in full production in 1967. The cotton mill finally closed down in the early 1970s. Photo: Frank Orrell

Eckersleys Mill, Swan Meadow Road, Wigan, still in full production in 1967. The cotton mill finally closed down in the early 1970s.

4. RETRO

Eckersleys Mill, Swan Meadow Road, Wigan, still in full production in 1967. The cotton mill finally closed down in the early 1970s. Photo: Frank Orrell