Explore Wigan's captivating history with events, tours and more as Heritage Open Days return
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A number of events are being held across Wigan this month as part of Heritage Open Days.
The people who worked at Haigh Hall and the history of Wigan’s only remaining Carnegie library will be among the fascinating subjects explored during a festival of history and culture.
Heritage Open Days return this September, with free events and experiences taking place across the country, including in Wigan.
Free tickets to a Wigan Athletic match are even up for grabs at an event celebrating the club’s heritage.
Each year, millions of people take part in a nationwide celebration of heritage, community and history and are welcomed into some of England’s best-known attractions and destinations.
The festival, which is brought by the National Trust and supported by Postcode Lottery players, runs from September 11 to 20.
Annie Reilly, National Trust's audience and engagement director, said: "England's largest festival of history and culture is back. Heritage Open Days opens the door to thousands of extraordinary stories, places and experiences on your doorstep.
“With over 6,200 free events across the country, millions can discover the places around them in new and often surprising ways. By inspiring curiosity today, the festival helps build a stronger sense of connection, care and action for the future.”
Events taking place in the borough:
- St James with St Thomas Church, Poolstock: celebrate the church’s 160th anniversary and learn about bell ringing, September 12
- Dig into the story of Gerrard Winstanley: a display about Gerrard Winstanley and the Diggers, September 12
- Chowbent Unitarian Chapel, Atherton: tour of the 1721 non-conformist chapel, September 12
- Wonderful Leigh Lego collaboration: join Archives: Wigan and Leigh to discover the past of Leigh's civic square and build your future Wonder Town, September 12
- Celebrating Heritage at St Wilfrid's Church, Standish: a celebration of harvest, heritage and the diocesan centenary, September 12 and 13
- Ince Cemetery tour: a walking tour of a Victorian cemetery, September 13
- Tyldesley Heritage and Miner's Training Gallery: explore the new heritage centre, September 13 and 20
- Beyond Haigh Hall - The Estate and Its People: explore the lives of servants and estate workers at the hall and on the wider estate, September 14
- Tyldesley Cemetery: Commonwealth War Graves Commission tour, September 16
- The History of the Carnegie Library, Ashton: an illustrated talk on the origins, design and construction of the grade II-listed library and former lecture hall, September 17
- Two Men of Wigan: a walking tour in the footsteps of two men with a place in Wigan history - a renowned architect and the proud station master of Wigan North Western station, September 17
- Uncover your Past at Wigan Museum: learn how to research your family history, September 17
- St Peter's Church, Leigh: open day and exhibition, September 18 and 19
- Wigan Athletic Heritage Museum: discover Wigan Athletic’s heritage before enjoying free entry to the match versus Wycombe Wanderers, September 19
- Catholic Church of St Oswald and St Edmund Arrowsmith, Ashton, September 19
- Leigh Spinners Heritage Centre: see how people lived in the mid-1900s, September 19 and 20
- Damhouse, Astley: information displays, talks and tours, September 19 and 20
- Lancashire Mining Museum: commemorating the Battle of Britain and coal mining during the Second World War, September 19 and 20
- Coccium to Coal Miners: a walking tour to discover the hidden history of Wigan town centre, September 20
Full details of all events are available on the Heritage Open Days website.