Changes

It is referred to in the title of [[George Orwell|George Orwell's]] 1930s polemic on Lancashire working class life, 'The Road To Wigan Pier'.

It is referred to in the title of [[George Orwell|George Orwell's]] 1930s polemic on Lancashire working class life, 'The Road To Wigan Pier'.

==Geography==

==Geography==

Wigan is in south-central Lancashire and a part of the West Derby Hundred. It sits approximately 16 miles west of central [[Manchester]] and a similar distance east of central Liverpool. Nearby towns include [[Standish]] to the north, and [[Ashton-in-Makerfield]], [[Golborne]] and [[Newton-le-Willows]] to the south. To the south of the town centre is the nature reserve Wigan Flashes ("flash" is a word for a body of water, related to [[French]] ''flaque''). It consists of an area of wetlands, lakes and ponds which are the result of early 20th century mining subsidence. It is known for its bird population, supporting around 2% of the UK's total willow tits.  

Wigan is in south-central Lancashire and a part of the West Derby Hundred. It sits approximately 16 miles west of central [[Manchester]] and a similar distance east of central Liverpool. Nearby towns include [[Standish]] to the north, and [[Ashton-in-Makerfield]], [[Golborne]] and [[Newton-le-Willows]] to the south. To the south of the town centre is the nature reserve Wigan Flashes ("flash" is a word for a body of water, related to [[French]] ''flaque''). It consists of an area of wetlands, lakes and ponds which are the result of early 20th century mining subsidence and the largest being Scotsman's Flash. It is known for its bird population, supporting around 2% of the UK's total willow tits. There is also a nature reserve at Amberswood, just south-west of the town centre near Platt Bridge,

 

==History==

==History==

There was an influx of Scandinavians into the area in the early 10th century following their expulsion from Ireland in 902 AD. Their mark is left on the modern town in the form of the place-name ''Scholes'' (now a suburb of Wigan) which is from Old Norse ''skalli'' ("huts") and in the street names which end in ''-gate'' (Millgate, Hallgate, Standishgate and Wallgate); ''gata'' having been Norse for "street" (it appears in street-names in [[Denmark]], [[Norway]] and [[Sweden]]).

There was an influx of Scandinavians into the area in the early 10th century following their expulsion from Ireland in 902 AD. Their mark is left on the modern town in the form of the place-name ''Scholes'' (now a suburb of Wigan) which is from Old Norse ''skalli'' ("huts") and in the street names which end in ''-gate'' (Millgate, Hallgate, Standishgate and Wallgate); ''gata'' having been Norse for "street" (it appears in street-names in [[Denmark]], [[Norway]] and [[Sweden]]).