Buildings of Interest

Description

Laurel House, Atherton Rd, Hindley. Built in 1714, home of the Eckersley family. It was Colonel Nathaniel Eckersley (who fought alongside Wellington) who died here in 1837 leaving the property to his brother James Eckersley. It was the 2nd son of James (also Nathaniel) who was a public benefactor and mayor of Wigan on six occasions.

The house found its way down to his eldest son James Carlton Eckersley who died in 1926 in London which in turn meant Laurel house was sold to the Barlow’s. The house had been tenanted previously to the likes of Thomas Southworth, colliery manager and chairman of Hindley Urban District Council.

A message from Frank & Linda Hilton describes relatives Clarence and Anne Barlow had purchased the property with Clarence being a miner and herbalist with a love of flowers. With a lot of hard work it became Laurel Nurseries.

“My mother and her two brothers and sister were young when they moved there, my sister  Anne Duggan was born there (top left hand window) as were four of my cousins”.

In 2025 this unlisted property has been redeveloped however rather unsympathetically with the removal of the chimneys. One half is for sale and advertised as a “semi-detached period property” priced at £325,000.

Andy Lomax