Holiday apartment in Wigan: Greenheart, nature and culture
Accommodation in Wigan
Wigan is located in the north-west of England and combines an extensive green landscape with cultural history, water sports and a wide range of venues. In the Borough of Wigan, 70 percent of the area is designated as green space. Greenheart includes parks, woodlands, wetlands and canals. At the same time, the borough has transport links to neighbouring larger cities.
Nature and trails
The landscape is particularly diverse in the nature reserves. Amberswood covers 160 hectares with lakes, ponds, woodlands, wetlands, wildflower meadows and grassland. These habitats are home to birds, insects and mammals. More than 6 kilometres of trails run through the area, as does part of the Greenheart Jubilee Way. Trail races also take place here, and there is a permanent orienteering course.
Three Sisters is a wetland nature reserve with trails for walking, cycling and horse riding. It also has picnic and play areas, toilets and free parking. The area additionally provides access to the larger Wigan Flashes Nature Reserve. The lake is home to goosanders, mute swans, grey herons and kingfishers, among others. Pennington Flash is also part of this landscape: the site forms part of the Flashes of Wigan and Leigh National Nature Reserve, designated by Natural England in October 2022. It features bird hides, walking and cycling trails, a visitor centre, a café and an adventure playground for families.
Orrell Water Park is a nature reserve and coarse fishery with two disused reservoirs. More than 100 bird species, as well as numerous species of butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies, have been recorded there. At Haigh Woodland Park, kilometres of walking trails, a golf course, an adventure playground and a high-ropes course complement the landscape. The facilities also include adventure playgrounds, high-ropes climbing, Adventure Golf, Crazy Golf, FootGolf, a railway attraction and walking trails.
Water and activities
In the Borough of Wigan, visitors can enjoy water sports, high-ropes climbing and other adventurous activities at various locations. Scotman's Flash offers stand-up paddleboarding, canoeing, kayaking and sailing for adults and children of all abilities. The Active-Outdoors team in the Borough of Wigan offers more than 150 running, walking and cycling activities each month. In addition, a family-friendly cycling event takes place twice a year in a safe, traffic-free setting.
Culture and history
Wigan Museum is housed in Wigan's first public library and first public building with electric lighting. The building was designed by Alfred Waterhouse and opened in 1878. In 1936, George Orwell carried out research in the reference library of Wigan Museum for his book “The Road to Wigan Pier”. This library is now part of the family history and local studies section. The collections of Wigan Museum comprise 30,000 objects relating to life in the Borough of Wigan. The Museum of Wigan Life also gives visitors insights into the cultural history of the Borough of Wigan.
The Wigan and Leigh Exhibition at Leigh Town Hall presents stories from the local history of the Borough of Wigan, including diaries, historical figures and interactive exhibits. Admission to the exhibition is free, and it can be visited without booking during the published opening hours from Tuesday to Saturday. At Mesnes Park, the Victorian character was brought more strongly to the fore as part of a £6.1 million restoration funded by Heritage Lottery funds.
Industrial history can be experienced at several locations. The restored Trencherfield Mill Steam Engine is one of the largest and finest surviving working installations of its kind and generated 2,500 horsepower for the mill. The Lancashire Mining Museum houses 28 colliery locomotives – the largest collection of its kind in the United Kingdom.
Events and local culture
The regular programme also offers a variety of highlights. Foodie Friday at Haigh Woodland Park takes place on the last Friday of every month from March to October and includes street-food vendors and musical entertainment. On the third Sunday of each month from April to October, craft markets are held there featuring cakes as well as other handmade products and produce. The Old Courts hosts a programme of music, theatre, comedy, film, family shows and workshops.
Transport
Wigan North Western railway station is on the West Coast Main Line, with services towards London Euston, Birmingham, the Lake District and Glasgow. Wigan Wallgate railway station provides local rail services to Preston, Kirby, Southport, Manchester, Liverpool, Blackpool and Leeds.
Further local pages lead to Atherton and Leigh.
To the main travel overview: North West England.
Other destinations
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