Obelisk is a Grade II listed building in the Wigan local planning authority area, England. First listed on 7 November 1966. Obelisk.

Obelisk

WRENN ID
haunted-gutter-solstice
Grade
II
Local Planning Authority
Wigan
Constituency
Leigh and Atherton MP: Jo Platt (Lab)
Country
England
Date first listed
7 November 1966
Type
Obelisk
Address
Obelisk, Civic Square
OS grid reference
SD 656 002
Coordinates
53.49786, -2.51909
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

The obelisk, originally the market cross, was erected in 1859 and stands on an 18th-century pedestal. The pedestal is rusticated, featuring a base and a moulded cap, and it underwent significant restoration in 1986. The obelisk has a tapering square shaft with sunk panels on each face. It closely resembles a similar obelisk located in Atherton. Historical references indicate that a fair was held in the market place in 1581, and a proclamation was made from the steps of the market cross in 1649. The original market cross remained until around 1800.

Local climate

Obelisk sits in a wetter-than-average part of the UK, with an average of 1,040 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 84% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 76% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 37 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 69% of listed buildings. Of these, 19 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

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