Councillor secures plaque to mark Roman milestone in Wigan

A milestone stands proudly as part of the exterior wall separating Wigan Infirmary and The Elms, on Wigan Lane, Swinley.

It is thought the stone was placed there 2,000 years ago by the Romans, with the wall built around it when the hospital was erected.

Wigan Central councillor George Davies launched a campaign last year calling for a plaque to mark the location and importance of the milestone. And now he has used money from his Brighter Borough funding to buy the marker, which was made at Standards of the Wiend.

The small silver plaque states: “Presumed Roman milestone found nearby, one Roman mile from the town centre on the possible road from Wigan to Ribchester.”

Coun Davies said: “The milestone will be a part of the Roman conquest when they built a fort nearby named Coccium in the 3rd and 4th centuries. It is understood that the Roman road led from Coccium (Wigan) to Bremettennacum (Ribchester), which could have started near the River Douglas up to a part of Wigan Lane then onto Leyland Mill Lane, travelling to Red Rock, crossing the River Douglas over to Arley then through the Common at Adlington, then taking in the hills to Ribchester. Many organisations, like Wigan Archaeologists, recognise that the Romans built roads from Wigan to Ribchester and Lancaster.

“But I feel that many people will be delighted that this milestone, which is the only one in the Wigan area which may have been built by the Romans, is now being honoured and will be part of our town’s Roman history.”

Coun Davies met with council bosses and staff from Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust last year to discuss getting a plaque and received the support of the hospital trust’s then chief executive Andrew Foster.

It is not the first time Coun Davies has taken action to mark Wigan’s history.

He arranged for a plaque to be erected at the entrance to the Grand Arcade shopping centre to memorialise the famous Station Road, a hotspot for Wiganers of days gone by, as well as plaques to commemorate the old market arcade and commercial yard - iconic places from Wigan’s past that were demolished in the 1970s.

Coun Davies also organised a tribute to Wigan’s miners at Mesnes Park.