A Short History of the Turnpike Gallery, Leigh

At the start of the 1970s, the town of Leigh faced uncertainty with the local coal and textile industry facing decline. Perhaps as a counter to this, local councillors decided to construct a bold new civic building that looked to the future. In keeping with the 1960s and 1970s they commissioned a radical concrete design, now recognised as part of the ‘Brutalist’ movement. It would stand in stark contrast to the late Victorian town hall, with which it would share the town square. This was the Turnpike Centre, housing the town library, council services and the Turnpike Gallery. The latter was a purpose-built space for modern art exhibitions.

The Turnpike Centre contains the Turnpike Gallery on the upper storey

The building was designed by architects JC Prestwich & Sons, the same firm behind the neighbouring town hall, built 70 years previously. The Turnpike’s large abstract facia was created by William Mitchell, an industrial designer who pioneered work using contemporary materials such as glass-reinforced concrete and artificial resins. In the north-west, his noted works include the panels either side of the main door at Liverpool Cathedral and the three sculptures dubbed the Minute Men at Salford University. The Liverpool and Salford works are now both Grade II listed by English Heritage. Looking back at his career, he commented “Some of the projects I did were good, some were reasonable, and most were controversial- none however broke the bank”.

The Turnpike Gallery was opened in November 1971 by the Speaker of the House of Commons, Lord Maybray-King. Its first exhibition was work by Henry Moore, a rare example of a British artist who became globally famous in his lifetime. This was followed by a number of well known and lesser known artists, and there has often been an emphasis on Lancashire talent. Salford’s LS Lowry, Wigan born Theodore Major and Leigh’s own Pete Shelley of the Buzzcocks have all had exhibitions at the gallery.

The Pete Shelley Mural in the car park next to the gallery

On the Brink

For over 40 years the gallery thrived, but in 2013 when the central Westminster government was cutting local council budgets viciously during the austerity years, its continued existence was threatened. Wigan Council took the difficult decision to slash its arts budget and withdrew all funding from the Turnpike. It would no longer have professional staff, nor a budget to bring in the artwork of contemporary artists. Not everyone saw this as a loss, and one councillor was reportedly overheard saying “What do you want to go there for? All they’ve got is a piece of coal on a stick”.

The decision to take all money away from the gallery could have been its death knell. However, the Leigh Journal reported “Exhibitions will be organised by members of the community – art groups and photographic societies”. Admirably, volunteers were able to keep the gallery going and undoubtedly their determination saved it. But what of the art? Community art is a valuable thing, but one commentator looking back at this time stated that there were perhaps too many celebrity portraits and African sunsets on display. The gallery had been set up to bring modern art and artists to Leigh, work that would challenge views, evoke emotion, and widen perspectives.

In 2016, Helen Stalker, a curator with years of experience working at Tate Liverpool and the Whitworth Gallery Manchester, became involved with the Turnpike Gallery. She set up a Community Interest Company and under her guidance new funding streams were found. She was able to get Wigan Council to recognise the positive impact of art on the local community. The following year, the gallery reopened hosting the prestigious Jerwood Drawing Prize, which promotes both new talent and existing artists. Under Stalker’s guidance as director, contemporary art was once again thriving at the heart of Leigh town centre.

In 2020, in the midst of lockdown, six artists were commissioned to support the community through the crisis. With people restricted to not travelling far from where they lived, a renewed interest in local artworks, along with exploring the local environment, became a source of succour for many. With the COVID pandemic past, there is once again a constantly changing programme of art throughout the year. It is always worth dropping into the Turnpike Gallery to see what is happening.

If you visit the gallery, do spend some time in Leigh Town Hall, a one minute walk away. On the ground floor is an excellent exhibition room that celebrates famous locals from history. Like the Turnpike, it is free to enter. See our page on it here.

Site visited by A. and S. Bowden 2023

Access

The Turnpike Gallery is inside the The Turnpike Centre and is open Tuesday to Saturday 10am – 4pm. It is free to enter. There is a paid car park next to the Turnpike Centre. The Pete Shelley Mural can be viewed close up from the car park. See the website here.

Leigh Town Hall museum room is also free to enter.

Nearby

Leigh Town Hall

Damhouse

The Lost Church of St Stephen’s

The Seven in Lancashire

Wigan’s Roman Bath House Hypocaust

Mab’s Cross

References

saltmagazine.co.uk/2021/07/01/art-community-and-the-future-of-exhibitions-at-the-turnpike/

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Mitchell_(sculptor)

modernmooch.com/2020/06/07/turnpike-centre-leigh/