Wigan Roller Rink is preparing for a new chapter at venues across the borough as its historic home at Eckersley Mills approaches its final days.
The Grade II listed building which houses the rink is set to be demolished as part of the redevelopment of the site, but Dawn and Gary Holding, the married couple who run the rink, are planning to keep the skating community together by taking sessions to other venues.
For now, rather than replacing Eckersley Mills with one permanent home, their plans are for a more flexible programme, initially using Northwest Rollersports in Atherton and Ashton Leisure Centre for family skating, lessons and public sessions. The final sessions at Eckersley Mills take place at the end of August, culminating in the sold-out End of an Era event.
For Dawn and Gary, leaving the rink is particularly personal. They first met there as teenagers during its original era. Dawn actually fell over Gary while he was skating to Rufus and Chaka Khan in 1984. They later married, had children, and decades later found themselves running the place where they first met. The family connection now extends to another generation, with their son DJing at the rink.
They started the current business in 2009 with business partner Peter Fairhurst, who Dawn credits as the driving force behind the reunion which led to the rink being revived. Peter’s connection with Wigan Roller Rink goes back to its first era: he was the resident DJ when it opened in 1979 and will also be there for the final night.
Speaking at the last over 18s skating session on Wednesday 26 August, which was absolutely packed, Dawn said: “It’s lovely to see so many faces we haven’t seen for a while, but it’s obviously very sad too. I I just think I need to get it over with now then I can sit down and have a good cry. I’m sure I’ll be a lot more upset on Monday.”
Monday 31 August sees the last ever session at the rink, with the End of an Era event totally sold out. Dawn added: “We’ve got to look to the future haven’t we and we’re going to do a few pop up skates, to try and keep the skating community together.”
Already confirmed are sessions at Ashton-in-Makerfield Leisure Centre, with Dawn saying Wigan Council had also put them in touch with a number of other colleges and sports centres across Wigan where more pop-up skating could happen.
Even though Dawn is committed to looking to the future, it is tinged with sadness: “We’ve worked hard for 17 years to do this, and it’s only when you stop and have a minute and think about what it is you’ve achieved, we’ve had ups and downs, but it’s all been worth it.”
Dawn said she and Gary launched the rink in 2009 to give young people who didn’t like other sports, such as rugby and football, something to do, and the community has just grown and grown: “I think every town needs something like this, and although we are now losing a building, we are not losing our heart.”
The original Wigan Roller Rink opened at Eckersley Mills in 1979 and operated until 1990, after which the building became an indoor karting track. Roller skating returned in 2009, beginning a second era which has seen another generation of Wigan families take to the floor.
The announcement that the rink would have to leave Eckersley Mills prompted a major public response. A petition calling for it to be saved, launched after the closure was announced in May, has attracted more than 11,600 verified signatures. Wigan MP Lisa Nandy has also been involved in efforts to secure its future, holding talks with the rink, Wigan Council and The Heaton Group. The developer owns the building and is behind Cotton Works, the wider redevelopment of the Eckersley Mills site.
She said: “I know how important it is to so many Wiganers and to many from outside of our town and the outpouring of public support it has received is a testament to the community and business Dawn and Gary have built.
“We are exploring a number of options to ensure Wigan Roller Rink has a future in our town.”
Rink building to be demolished
The building itself has a social history stretching back long before it became a roller rink. Built in 1918 as the works welfare building for Eckersley Mills, Historic England describes it as an “elaborate and rare example” of a dining and entertainment hall designed around the mill’s predominantly female workforce, which was around 95 per cent women.
It is now due to be demolished as part of the next phase of the redevelopment of Eckersley Mills. The Heaton Group confirmed the roller rink building and Mill 2 will be demolished to make way for a new Assisted Living Quarter, which it says will deliver much-needed specialist homes. A demolition date has not yet been confirmed, although work is expected to begin in the coming months.
Historic England said Mill 2 and the works welfare building were both of national significance and fundamental to the historic Eckersley Mills complex. It said their demolition would cause “substantial harm” and initially objected to their loss.
It later withdrew that objection after further evidence was submitted, including Wigan Council’s independent assessment, although it described the loss of the two Grade II listed buildings as “highly regrettable”. Historic England said it supports the wider redevelopment of Eckersley Mills.
The Heaton Group had previously planned to provide a new roller rink as part of Cotton Works, but later said it was not financially viable. The developer said it has since worked with Wigan Council, local councillors and Lisa Nandy’s team to explore alternatives, and appointed Parkinson Real Estate to search the local property market for possible premises.
The developer said it was “really pleased” Dawn and Gary had found a way to keep skating going and the rink community together beyond Eckersley Mills. A spokesperson added: “For this next phase, we will be looking to make a nostalgic nod to the story of the former welfare office, as well as the Roller Rink, both of which are an important part of Wigan’s story.”
For Dawn and Gary, the final sessions at Eckersley Mills will bring an emotional end to a place that has been part of their lives since they were teenagers. Their focus now is on what comes next and keeping the community they have built together on skates.
When and where to skate
- August 27–31: Remaining sessions at Eckersley Mills, including holiday sessions, the final over-18s night and final weekend.
- August 31: End of an Era – sold out.
- September 19: Saturday evening skating begins at Northwest Rollersports in Atherton, 7.30pm–10.30pm.
- October: Lessons and public skating begin at Ashton Leisure Centre.
More details here.
