Layers of Leigh - The Historic Development of 98 Bradshawgate
Posted on 19th Nov 2025 by AWL Team
98 Bradshawgate is the first project to start on site as part of the Leigh Town Centre Building Grant Scheme. The building has had a variety of uses and continues to be a central part of Leigh’s retail offer.
Early history
The earliest reference to 98 Bradshawgate that I have been able to find, is in the 1895 Kelly’s Directory. This tells me that the building was occupied by a William H. Wilkinson, who was a cabinet maker.
In the early twentieth century, 98 Bradshawgate was occupied by a wine and spirits merchants called ‘R. Green and Co’. The current tenant shared with us a booklet titled Progress R. Green and Co Ltd, found in Archives: Wigan and Leigh, which records some interesting history and old photographs relating to R. Green and Co.
Green & Co
Green and Co’s head office was at 98 Bradshawgate (Figures 1-2). Note the original shopfront with traditional architectural features such as the projecting cornice, panelled stall riser, recessed doorway and upper floor timber sliding sash windows. It is also interesting to note the arched opening to the left of the shopfront. Does anyone know where this passageway led? Did it provide access to Gas Street or just a courtyard? And what a boujee lamp!
Figure 1: R. Green & Co’s head office at 98 Bradshawgate, Leigh. (Source: Archives: Wigan and Leigh (Progress R. Green & Co Ltd).
Figure 2: Bradshawgate in the late 1910s (dated based on the women’s fashion and the vehicle number plate). Note the large signage for R. Green and Co and the elaborate hanging lamp at 98 Bradshawgate. (Source: Archives: Wigan and Leigh (PC2015.13179).
During R. Green and Co’s occupation of 98 Bradshawgate as their head office, improvements and alterations were made to the interior of the shop. This primarily involved changes to the displays, with the most notable one being that customers now had to wait for reserve stocks of whisky, presumably stored behind the counter. The booklet Progress R. Green and Co Ltd described this as ‘unfortunate’! Looking closely at figures 3-4, it also appears that decorative beams / joists have been added to the ceiling, perhaps to make the shop feel more welcoming and appealing to visitors. Figure 4 (D/DS/97/1/1/16) draws comparison to the architectural style in Chester, and states ‘no this is not Chester’! These improvements clearly did work, as the booklet stated the new retail shop has ‘evoked great praise from many who visit’.
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Figure 3: 98 Bradshawgate before internal improvements. Source: Archives: Wigan and Leigh (Progress R. Green & Co Ltd). |
Figure 4: 98 Bradshawgate after internal improvements. Source: Archives: Wigan and Leigh (D/DS/97/1/1/16). |
External alterations were also made to 98 Bradshawgate, which occurred between the late 1910s and 1936. These were likely made at the same or similar time to the internal alterations. Alterations included a new shopfront, introduction of mock Tudor panelling, dormers and side hung casement windows with diamond panes (figure 5). The arch to the passageway to the left of the shopfront has also been lost, with a sign added advertising the ‘Ye Olde Wine Shoppe’. The shopfront was designed and executed by Frederick Sage and Co Ltd, who were popular shopfitters in the London area. Note this shopfront is still in-situ at 98 Bradshawgate today.
Figure 5: 98 Bradshawgate after alterations between the late 1910s and 1936. - Source: Archives: Wigan and Leigh (Progress R. Green & Co Ltd).
In addition to writing about the history of R. Green and Co, the author of the Progress R. Green and Co Ltd booklet gave some impressions of their visit to 98 Bradshawgate in the mid twentieth century. They described the shop as having ‘distinctive character with its old fashionedly modern get up’. The author also refers to the upper floor as being a ‘suite of offices with modern business equipment’. They go on to describe the wine cellars with ‘gleaming machines and conveyor system’ and state they were ‘induced to try a sparkling ale’. I particularly like the author’s reference to the store’s loading galleries ‘which gave the impression of a Shakespearian Theatre with the courtyard in the centre being used by the actors’. What a place this would have been!
In order to transport and deliver the wine and spirits, R. Green and Co used a horse and cart in the early twentieth century. In figure 6 below is ‘Happy Smethurst’ with ‘Teddy’ the horse. However, by the mid twentieth century, the use of the automobile had started to boom and R. Green and Co can be seen to have a large truck in 1952 (figure 7), perhaps emphasising their success in business.
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Figure 6: R. Green and Co horse and cart in 1918. Source: Archives: Wigan and Leigh (Progress R. Green & Co Ltd). |
Figure 7: R. Green and Co truck in 1952. Source: Archives: Wigan and Leigh (Progress R. Green & Co Ltd). |
In March 1952, R. Green and Co were presented with ‘The Clean Food Guild’ certificate (figure 8). They were the first company in Leigh to be presented with this award. R. Green and Co also had several of their clean bottles tested in the laboratory, stating ‘the first essential to quality is sterility’ (figure 9).
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Figure 8: R. Green and Co’s ‘Clean Food Guild’ certificate. Source: Archives: Wigan and Leigh (Progress R. Green & Co Ltd). |
Figure 9: Laboratory test certificates. Source: Archives: Wigan and Leigh (Progress R. Green & Co Ltd). |
Green and Co still occupied 98 Bradshawgate in 1969, however I have not been able to find when they moved out. If anyone can remember or knows when this happened, please get in touch.
Recent History
Finesse Gift Shop opened in 2005 at 98 Bradshawgate and became a popular and well-loved shop in Leigh (figure 10). Following closure after nearly twenty years of trading, 98 Bradshawgate became the new home of the Leigh Tearoom and Verve Community Hub in 2025 (figure 11). The Community Hub runs knitting campaigns, provides foster care recruitment, a community fridge, free organic milk, a digital hub, and offers a place to meet. For more information, please visit the Hub’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SpinnersTearoom/
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Figure 10: Finesse Gift Shop prior to closing. Source: Creative Heritage Consultants Ltd. |
Figure 11: Leigh Tearoom and Verve Community Hub offering out free milk. Source: Facebook. |
Works to repair and redecorate the shopfront at 98 Bradshawgate have commenced on site as part of the Leigh Town Centre Building Grant Scheme. The proposals have been designed by PAB Chartered Architects Ltd and the appointed contractor is Hayes Joinery Ltd. Both are local companies. I can’t wait to see the repaired and redecorated shopfront and the transformational impact it will have on the high street!
Meanwhile, Leigh Tearooms and Verve Community Hub are trading as normal, so please support them while the work is going on.
Figure 13: Design proposals for 98 Bradshawgate. (Source: PAB Chartered Architects Ltd.)
We would love to hear any more stories and memories about 98 Bradshawgate and other properties in Leigh.
Researched and Written by Anna Standring
Bibliography
Ancestry. (2025) ‘William H Wilkinson’, 1895 Kelly’s Directory. Available at: https://www.ancestry.co.uk/search/collections/3145/records/12955915?tid=&pid=&queryId=e0783038-407d-46be-a5f5-a1df40b47022&_phsrc=Iyp163&_phstart=successSource (Accessed 23 October 2025)
Archives: Wigan and Leigh. (no date) ‘Reference PC2015.13179’, Archives: Wigan and Leigh.
Archives: Wigan and Leigh. (1936) ‘Reference D/DS/97/1/1/16’, Archives: Wigan and Leigh.