A look at what Wigton was like in years gone by

Georgian houses line the streets of the town and the main church dates back to the 18th century. There is also a memorial fountain gracing the old marketplace.

It is evident from the layout of the area that Wigton was once a bustling town. It’s quieter today, but its jumble of streets, narrow lanes and alleyways that earned it the nickname ‘the Throstle’s Nest’ is worth exploring.

The surrounding countryside is a combination of coastal and fell landscape.

Well known literary figures have passed through the town, including Charles Dickens who visited Wigton in 1857. But the town is better known as being the birthplace of author and broadcaster Melvyn Bragg, who is now Lord Bragg of Wigton.

Surrounding Wigton is a pastoral landscape of fields and hedges, dotted with the rural villages of Great Orton, Wiggonby, Aikton, Oulton, Waverton, Bolton Low Houses, Rosley and Thursby.

The name Wigton is derived from ‘Wicga’s tun’ or the settlement of Wicga, which is thought to be of Anglo Saxon origin.

The Normans established a Barony of Wigton and created one of the largest hunting reserves in England, Inglewood Forest, which stretched from the edge of Wigton to Penrith.

Early industries in Wigton included cotton and linen manufacture, dyeing, printing and tanning. The cloth manufacturers employed hundreds of hand-loom weavers who carried out their trade in small weavers’ cottages.

These photos show what life was like in Wigton in years gone by. We hope that these pictures help to bring back some fond memories for some of you.