The very name Wingates suggests an old road but I must admit I hadn't thought about this one that lies between Leyland Mill and Brock Mill before. At the weekend we were invited down there by Ian Parker, who owns the adjacent fields, to have a look at an old culvert that he had discovered going under the road. Culverts under roads are not unusual but Ian was struck by the size and quality of this one. It was large enough for him to crawl into and he could see huge capstones, both on top and underneath. Having crawled to the other end, he said the culvert opened up into a kind of chamber, big enough for him to stand up. The site is located about half way between the two mill sites on the Douglas side of the road.
When Ian began to speculate about its age, he realised that there had been quite a lot of industrial activity in the area (including mining) and this could be part of it. However he also knew that Wigan was a Roman town and there had been reports of Roman mining further up the Douglas valley at Arley (see our Projects web pages). Further research led him to an article by John Howard entitled A Roman Road and its Culverts published in 2002 detailing investigations done on a section of road between Ribchester and Burrow-in Lonsdale. The photos in the article were remarkably similar so that's when he decided to contact the Society.
Ian has become even more convinced of the culvert's antiquity after we told him about the supposed road leading from Wigan to Ribchester (although this is generally thought to have followed Wigan Lane before branching off at Boar's Head).
Even if it is not Roman, it is quite a remarkable feature of some age and worthy of further investigations. Ian said he is quite willing for us to excavate the site to see if we can establish its age. This could only be limited due to the steepness of the embankment; however we should be able to establish if it is associated with an old road lying under the present one.
The road from Wigan to Ribchester has long been speculated upon but no evidence of it has ever been found up to now. The Wingates road is in the right direction but how it fits into the generally considered route, is hard to imagine. It would be quite something however, if this could be shown to be part of it.
Amberswood Link Road
Last month I attended a presentation given by Wigan Council on the proposed new road which would link Seaman Way with Liverpool Road and eventually to Phoenix Way in Lower Ince. As you may know, we suspect that the Roman road to Manchester crossed the Common somewhere in the region of Seaman Way, and I felt it important that the Council be made aware of this. A few days later, David Round, chief planning officer, contacted me with reassurances that Seaman Way would not be affected. Also a desk based assessment by GMAAS has been carried out and he was awaiting their report. The likelihood is that it will recommend an archaeological condition be placed asking for at least a watching brief.
Programme for 2015
As usual this is very much a work in progress but already we have some interesting speakers lined up. In March we have David Ratledge, who will be updating us on the latest information about the Roman roads in the Lancashire area (I'm sure he will be interested in the culvert). In June we have Paul Knight, who is not only a local lad, but also a Captain in the British Army. He is currently involved with coordinating WWI commemorations and has agreed to give us a talk on the Army's role in Mesopotamia at the time. The enigmatic island of St Kilda is the subject of our September meeting. Steve Halliwell, the speaker, has information on recent excavations there.
Kirkless Project Update
Wigan Council is in the process of granting us a licence for this project. However we won't be able to start the excavations until next April when we are able to upgrade our public liability insurance. The council are asking for a value of £5 million when working on their land. However before then, we will be organising a field trip to establish suitable areas for investigation.
Next Meeting
Wednesday 4th February - in the Standish Suite at the Brocket Arms (7.30pm as usual). This month it's the AGM with the usual proceedings. However, after the formalities, Patrick Maloney, our chairman, will be giving a talk on our Kirkless Iron and Steel Works project. Patrick gave a shortened version at last year's GM Federation day and was very well received. He will expand it to include more detail about the personalities involved (such as John Lancaster, who famously became involved with a Civil War sea battle in the English Channel). Sure to be a fascinating talk - hope to see you there, BA
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