Wigan is a town in
Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the
River Douglas, south-west of
Bolton, north of
Warrington and west-northwest of
Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the
Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total population of 97,000 in 2011, whilst the wider borough has a population of 318,100.
Historically in
Lancashire, Wigan during
classical antiquity was in the territory of the
Brigantes, an ancient
Celtic tribe that ruled much of
northern England. The Brigantes were subjugated in the
Roman conquest of Britain during the 1st century, and it is asserted that the Roman settlement of
Coccium was established where Wigan lies. Wigan is believed to have been incorporated as a
borough in 1246 following the issue of a
charter by
King Henry III of England. At the end of the
Middle Ages it was one of four boroughs in Lancashire possessing
Royal charters; the others were
Lancaster, Liverpool, and
Preston.