Wigan Archives and Local Studies Service

Who we are

Wigan Archives and Local Studies Service is dedicated to caring for and making accessible the historical records of the Wigan Metropolitan Borough. It preserves records for the borough’s people, places, businesses, churches, societies and all manner of other organisations, holding original documents, maps and photographs that cover over 800 years of local history. The Archives can bring history alive for students of all ages. Archives can be used to bring a local focus to lessons, helping to set historical narratives in a local context and engage students’ interest in the topics being studied. When students read the war diary of a local man who served in the trenches, for example, the First World War becomes a real event with a local impact. These resources can be used not only for the study of History but also Geography, Maths, Science and as inspiration for Art or Drama. The Archive collections are free to access and staff are available to offer advice on resources to teachers. Most can also be digitised and provided electronically for use in the classroom. As well as topic specific workshops, the Archives are delighted to arrange visits for schools to the Archives and offer tours of the collections, including hands-on activities with original records.