Wigan is almost equidistant between Manchester and Liverpool. In addition to the many things the town itself has to offer, it’s also very easy to reach the other large towns and cities in the north-west.
When travelling for business, the most popular choice in the past has often been a hotel. However, more and more corporates are choosing serviced accommodation, and given that they are usually larger, and altogether offer a more flexible option, perhaps this is no surprise.
In Situ serviced apartments in Wigan, the business traveller will be able to cook their own meals and wash their clothes independently, thanks to on-site washing facilities and fully equipped kitchens, giving guests all the self-sufficiency they could possibly need. Guests can expect an allocated parking space and free Wi-Fi, meaning corporate guests can live and work freely in spacious living areas and bedrooms however they wish.
Some corporate Wigan apartments are in a convenient location close to the town centre, within walking distance of bars, pubs and restaurants, while others are in locations that might be quieter but also further away from the hustle and bustle. It is all a matter of personal preference, whichever best suits your business travel plans.
Wigan is a town and a Metropolitan Borough in the northwest of England. It’s in the modern metropolitan county of Greater Manchester, but historically it has always been part of Lancashire, and many of the locals are likely to consider themselves Lancastrians rather than Mancunians. The population of the entire borough is approximately 318,000, but only around one-third of these live in the town of Wigan itself. This is because the borough also encompasses several other towns, including Leigh, Hindley, Orrell, Atherton, Tyldesley, Golborne and Astley.
Manchester is 16 miles away to the south-east, but it’s just 17 miles in a south-westerly direction to Liverpool city centre. This means that the western parts of the borough, while still part of Greater Manchester, are actually closer to Liverpool than Manchester. Other large towns and cities are close by, including Warrington (10 miles), Preston (17 miles) and Blackpool (25 miles) and there are excellent motorway and rail connections to all of these. Junction 26 of the M6 lie just to the west a short distance of the town where it intersects with the M58. The M62 is just 10 miles to the south.
Wigan is home to around 12,000 businesses, and a large proportion of these are small and medium-sized enterprises. Professional services and digital and creative industries are growing in the town, but its manufacturing traditions remain strong. According to Invest In Manchester, many of the largest private-sector employers in Wigan are from the food and drink industry. The public sector is also a significant source of employment, especially the NHS. On the whole, Wigan has a lower unemployment rate than the UK average.
Business people in Wigan might like to see what support these organisations can offer:
For whatever reason you are planning a visit to the city, whether it is for a networking event or to relocate your entire company, just know that there are many quality, centrally located serviced apartments in Wigan that can cater for your business travel needs.
Wigan is perhaps most known for having a pier, even though it’s a long way from the sea. It was made famous by George Orwell in his 1937 book 'The Road To Wigan Pier', which documented his investigation of the lives of the local working classes. The so-called ‘pier’ is nothing more than a small landing stage on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, but a major re-generation of the ‘Wigan Pier Quarter’ is underway, which will see an events venue, gin-distillery, micro-brewery and food hall built around the site of the derelict Orwell pub.
While waiting for it to open, you can indulge in some superb modern European fine dining at Gallimore’s; or sample some excellent local produce at Red Door Bistro. For recreation, the locals might head for the Flashes nature reserve; or Haigh Hall Country Park; or Mesnes Park on the outskirts of the town centre. The ice cream parlour at Mesnes is nothing short of legendary, while Haigh Hall also has several independent artisan shops.
Wigan claims to be home to the UK’s biggest fancy-dress festival too, with thousands of people donning their outlandish costumes and hitting the streets every Boxing Day. All in all, there's seemingly much to do in the town, so make sure to book a long term stay in a corporate Wigan apartment, located in the heart of the area and close to all the local attractions.
Wigan is not only close to the city centres of Manchester and Liverpool, but it’s also close to their international airports. Liverpool John Lennon Airport is 17 miles away, while it’s 19 miles to Manchester International.
Corporates can pick and choose to book stays in serviced apartments in Wigan based closer to the airport they are travelling to and from, reducing the amount of time they spend travelling.
Wigan has two town centre railway stations, but they are located just a few metres apart. North Western Station is where you go to catch most of the inter-city express services. There’s at least one train per hour to London Euston, with the journey taking around two hours, and there are also regular services to Manchester Airport, Blackpool North (via Preston), Glasgow Central (via Preston and the Lake District) and Liverpool Lime Street.
Over the road, most of the trains at Wallgate Station are local stopping services. There are several trains per hour to Manchester’s city centre stations, and you can also travel to Leeds and Southport. The travel time to London is set to reduce to 91 minutes when HS2 arrives in Wigan.
Most of the buses from the town centre bus station serve the other towns and villages in the borough, but you can also travel to Bolton, Preston, St Helens, Skelmersdale and Chorley.
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