The Crofters Arms, nestled on Hallgate in Wigan, opened in the 19th century as a rough-hewn pub for coal miners and canal workers. Built during Wigan’s industrial peak, its stone walls and low ceilings sheltered the town’s laboring heart near the famous Wigan Pier. A survivor of pit closures and urban shifts, it’s dodged the wrecking ball to remain a local watering hole. Its gritty past pours Wigan ghost stories that linger in its smoky corners and worn bar.
The pub thrived as Wigan’s mines and mills churned, its taps flowing with ale for weary souls fresh from the collieries or barges along the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. Tucked in the shadow of the town’s industrial might, it soaked up tales of toil and camaraderie—some say with spirits still clinking glasses. The Crofters Arms blends Wigan’s rugged history with a haunted hum, drawing fans of Wigan ghost stories and pub lore to its hearth.
One eerie tale tells of The Miner’s Lantern, a pit worker who died in an 1870s collapse, stumbling here for one last pint before succumbing. His dim light flickers near the bar, and a faint cough of coal dust trails—patrons feel a heavy hand on their shoulder. Another story spins The Singing Barmaid, a lass who vanished in 1905 after a rowdy night, her throat cut by a jealous suitor. Her cheery tune drifts from the back, and tankards shift as if she’s still serving. These Wigan ghost stories tap The Crofters Arms with a spectral brew, its past alive with echoes of the mines.