Stepping back in time as historic Wigan borough boundary stone returns to original position

The historic Pennington-Bedford-Atherton marker had been positioned on Brown Street South in Leigh, but was removed during demolition work in the 1970s.

It dated back to pre-1698 and had been refaced, recut and benchmarked in 1857.

Avis Freeman, from Leigh Soroptimists, rescued the stone in 2015 from a former masonry scrapyard next to Ince Health Centre, where it had ended up after the demolition.

Initially it was installed in an incorrect position at the new Railway Arches Apartments in Leigh in 2019.

But after four years of liaison between local historian Michael Caine, who is a member of Leigh, Atherton and Tyldesley Heritage Group, and Wigan Council, it has now been sited in its ancient position at the former corner of Brown Street South and Chapel Street, near the apartments.

It is awaiting grade two listing as historic street furniture, which would be a first for the area.