Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester (historically in Lancashire), sitting on the banks of the River Douglas close to the West Pennine Moors. It expanded rapidly during the Industrial Revolution around coal mining, canals and textile mills, and today shows a mix of Victorian terraces, transport links and ongoing post‑industrial regeneration with distribution and light manufacturing still important to the local economy.
Culturally Wigan is famous for Wigan Pier, immortalised by George Orwell, and for the Northern soul scene centred on Wigan Casino; its sporting life is dominated by rugby league’s Wigan Warriors. The town retains a strong working‑class identity, lively community activity and a sense of civic pride alongside the social and economic challenges of reconversion.