The Inter-tidal article effort this month has had to be wrenched out of me, writers block, tiredness or just old age has been dogging me for ages now. I’ve wanted to share some bits and bats with you, but struggled putting anything down, without boring everyone!

So the inter-tidal connection is history and heritage, again on the banks of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal within the Wigan environs. Actually, around the township of Ince, to be more specific. Not the most obvious tit-bits of information and learning, as we have a bomb dropped by a zeppelin and one of the largest companies in Europe in earlier days, putting Wigan on the map and as a target for our old foes, the Germans! (bless em) Incidentally and maybe topically, I’ve had some help with the article through Artificial Intelligence or ‘AI’. Not to write my article for me, but to assist me with structure and grammar as a poorly educated Lancashire lad. I will probably write an article for the next edition on AI, as it may be of value to some of my/our readers to know what that is all about and to see if it can help folks out with some of their chores… I digress, sorry.

Geography:   I’m on the ‘Wigan Flight’. The Wigan Flight is a renowned flight of 21 locks on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal. It raises the canal over 200 feet (61 meters) across a distance of two and a half miles (4 kilometres). Built in 1816, the flight marked the completion of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, linking the cities of Leeds and Liverpool. At the bottom of the flight you can turn off to go down the Leigh Branch, which in turn brings you to the Bridgewater Canal or Worsley fame and Barton Aqueduct over the Manchester Ship Canal. A series of 21 locks which are numbered from 65 at the top to 86 at the bottom. The locks were numbered chronologically as they were constructed.
The milestone gives you a first class datum point of where we are. Leeds 90mls, Liverpool 37mls.

The Kirkless Iron & Steel Works, later known as the Wigan Coal and Iron Company, was established in 1858 on the banks of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in Higher Ince. It was once one of the largest iron works in Europe, starting with five blast furnaces and expanding to ten by 1886. The canal played a crucial role in transporting raw materials and finished products, making it an essential part of the industrial landscape.

Over time, demand for steel declined, and production was curtailed in 1930. Today, much of the site has been repurposed into Kirkless industrial estate, while other areas have been reclaimed by nature, forming a unique habitat. The Friends of Kirkless group has been working to preserve the site's environmental and historical significance. The whole reclaimed habitat and green spaces are now part of the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside, along with other nearby nature reserves.

*In a modern context, these historic waterways have taken on an additional role as community assets. Initiatives like the Pennine Lancashire Linear Park project are actively seeking to repurpose sections of the canal as green corridors and recreational spaces. Such projects aim to harness the historic legacy of the canal while simultaneously addressing contemporary community needs—providing safe, traffic-free routes for pedestrians and cyclists, preserving local heritage, and stimulating economic revitalisation through tourism and leisure activities. This adaptive reuse not only fosters a sense of pride in the industrial past but also builds a bridge toward a greener and more sustainable future.* I am sure there will be others, but this area of the tow path contains the very first designated picnic area, with 2 benches and fruit trees, that I have seen.

The Wigan Coal and Iron Company, later known as the Wigan Coal Corporation, (see Kirkless Industrial Estate on map), was a major force in the Wigan Coalfield, and a key area in the Lancashire Coalfield. The company formed in 1865 by merging collieries, including those of Lord Crawford, with others like Kirkless Hall and Standish. This merger led to the creation of a significant enterprise, eventually becoming the largest joint stock company in Britain. The company built and maintained its own locomotives at its Kirkless workshops, with some locomotives also being built by other contractors. Many of the administration buildings can still be seen, in use, from the gates of the industrial estate on the eastern side of the canal and over the road bridge.

Further south on the eastern banks you will find paths and trails throughout the now reclaimed slag heaps and oven waste, known locally as rabbit hills. A truly amazing green space ideal for stretching your legs or walking the dog whilst moored close by, waiting for pound water or a ‘buddy’ to traverse the locks with.

Finally, an extract from https://www.iancastlezeppelin.co.uk/12/13-april-1918

(1918) Continuing to the north, Ehrlich now must have seen the glare from the furnaces at the Wigan Coal & Iron Company about 10 miles ahead, which Ehrlich concluded was Sheffield. The area had not received an air raid warning.
At about 11.30pm L 61 reached Ince on the southern edge of Wigan and Ehrlich commenced his bombing run. An incendiary smashed through the roof of 12 Preston Street setting the house on fire and destroying all the furniture. At the same time another incendiary crashed through the roof of 7 Frederick Street, just 25 yards away, but it failed to ignite. More bombs followed by the railway. An incendiary smashed into a signal box 400 yards west of Ince station and an HE bomb landed 200 yards west of the station, damaging a section of track and destroying two trucks of a stationary goods train loaded with coal. 

The Kirkless Hall Inn should also be on the list of things to do and see when enjoying the history and heritage of this stretch of the Leeds & Liverpool.

It's a good local pub with excellent Sunday lunches and beers to suit. Friendly clientele and excellent surrounds, be it winter or summer.