Trencherfield Mill's giant engine: new hopes for mothballed Wigan attraction

For years now, though, the machinery in the engine room at Trencherfield Mill, along with its steam-driven horn, has been silent.

It had been an integral part of the award-winning Wigan Pier tourist attraction which also included The Way We Were and Robert Opie Museums, The Owell pub, Kittywake cruises along the canal and the mcahine room next door to the engine which was full of working looms.

And it was a big draw, being the largest working, steam-driven static wheel anywhere on the planet. Steam and engineering buffs from all over the country, as well as daytrippers, would make the pilgrimage to see it in beautiful action and it definitely played its part in making Wigan Pier, for a while, the second most popular North West visitor attraction after Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

In 2005 Wigan Council secured £200,000 of EU money to restore and maintain the 2,500 horsepower colossus on condition that it formed part of a larger tourism offer.

While Brussels never asked for a refund, nothing new was ever produced to complement it.

In fact the other features shut down, the visitors went away and for a while, the engine was just given an occasional run-out for one-off events like Powerfest.

But even that ceased to be once the pandemic hit.

And with Covid just a bad memory now, engine remains closed to the public, the council now saying it is due to the disrepair of the glass canopy roof which prohibits public access on health and safety grounds.

That said the steam engine itself is being maintained by heritage engineers Macfarlane & Co and so hasn’t deteriorated since the venue became closed to the public.”

But what of its future?

The council, which no longer owns the building but leases the engine space on a long-term contract, is very keen to revive its fortunes and exploit this special asset, although the process to make this happen might not have been helped by the fact that the mill landlord went into liquidation earlier in the year.

Peter Hughes, assistant director for culture and events at the local authority, said: “The engine at Trencherfield is one of the borough’s great heritage assets and our goal remains for it to reopen to the public.

“However, there are health and safety issues at the site that mean it will remain closed for the time being.

“The Mill will be included in a new long-term plan for heritage sites across the borough that we hope will make it easier to attract external funding as part of a wider heritage and cultural offer.

“In the meantime, the council is working on plans to bring the machine hall space – adjacent to the engine hall – back into use for a range of events and activities.”

Major developments just across the canal at the Cotton Works project (formerly Eckersley Mills) may also help to bring the Trencherfield attraction back into the spotlight.