Historically a part of
Lancashire; during the
Industrial Revolution Wigan experienced dramatic economic expansion and a rapid rise in the population. Although porcelain manufacture and clock making had been major industries in the town, Wigan has since become known as a major
mill town and
coal mining district. The first coal mine was established at Wigan in 1450 and at its peak there were 1,000 pit shafts within of the town centre. Coal mining ceased during the latter part of the 20th century. In 1974, Wigan became a part of Greater Manchester. Wigan's status as a centre for coal production, engineering and textiles in the 18th century led to the
Douglas Navigation in the 1740s, the canalisation of part of the
River Douglas, and later the diversion of the
Leeds and Liverpool Canal in the 1790s at the request of the mill owners, to transport coal from the Lancashire coal pits to Wigan's mills and was also used extensively to transport local produce. As a
mill town, Wigan was an important centre of
textile manufacture during the Industrial Revolution; however it wasn't until the 1800s that cotton factories began to spread into the town. This was due to a dearth of fast-flowing streams and rivers in the area, but by 1818 there were eight cotton mills in the Wallgate part of Wigan. In 1818, William Woods introduced the first power
looms to the Wigan cotton mills. Trencherfield Mill was built alongside the canal in 1907, for William Woods & Sons Ltd. Trencherfield Mill was one of 104 mills bought by the LCC, and one of the 53 mills that survived through to 1950. The mill was closed in 1968 with a loss of 350 jobs.
Wigan Council took over the operation of the mill's engine, after a significant restoration, in 1984 as part of the Wigan Pier redevelopment. The semi-derelict Grade II listed building was renovated between 2005 and 2007 as a key part of the
Wigan Pier regeneration project, co-ordinated by Simon Kensdale. This project drew on a combination of
European Regional Development Fund,
Single Regeneration Budget and
Heritage Lottery monies and it resulted in a number of sites in the Pier Quarter being restored to use. Trencherfield Mill itself became a mixed development comprising commercial, retail, and leisure space and 52 one and two-bedroom apartments. Wigan Council ultimately decided against establishing an arts centre – which would have included the town's first public theatre – within the Mill complex. However, the mill's 2,500 horsepower steam engine was preserved and restored. Trencherfield Mill was home to
The Mill at the Pier arts venue and performing space, was opened around 1983, and became the host for the Wigan International Jazz Festival in July 1986. It closed around 2005 but was later re-opened as part of ALRA. The prestigious British
drama school ALRA North, the
Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, operated in the mill from 2012 until its closure in 2022. The mill is also used as a call centre for both
EE and
BT. == Architecture ==