They catch your eye, almost every single time you visit the town, you will notice the red bricks and terracotta tiles on the buildings.
Wigan has a varied and quite dysfunctional approach to its town centre architecture - there seems to be no pattern to it - new builds next to mock Tudor fronts, old stone facades next to traditional brick.
It seems you can pretty much build anything.
But it's those red bricks that draw the eye, the craftsmanship and artistry are something else, and there are loads of examples all over town.
This little tour will give you an insight.
The Old Courts
What a triumph of construction - a simply magnificent building on Crawford Street, next to King Street West and the churchyard. Complete with towers and even a turret it is stunning and even better in the sunshine.
We move next from one saved building that is looking better by the day, to one that is simply crumbling away. Not as grand as the Old Courts, but still full of character and design.
Upper Dicconson Street
The premises have been empty now for decades - at one time they were a specialist clothing outlet, and even a furniture and antique store but now they are just a boarded-up mess.
Opposite Wigan North Western station is a fantastic pub, refurbished and a real landmark in the town.
The Swan and Railway
Just look at those bay windows!
Don't forget the stained glass windows, ornate doorways, and the triple chimney pot, just incredible levels of detail. A good pint too.
Once you have finished your pint and returned your glass to the bar (is it just me that does that?) then you can walk up Wallgate and take a look at what is around you.
Wallgate
At the junction with Library Street we have a more modern twist to the red bricks and this time it looks superb next to a slightly older version of modernity.
You can also start to see the wonders of Library Street as well, but I love this building due to its rounded end. Superb.
so now we can walk around the corner ...
Library Street
There are some buildings at the top of Library Street that make you just think, "wow, just how have they built those?"
Used by various businesses as offices these days, the skills and time it must have taken to build these structures are mind-blowing.
The jewel in the crown of all of Wigan's red-bricked buildings lies further down Library Street and it truly is magnificent.
The Town Hall
Well actually it's the Town Hall and the Council offices that lie across Hewlett Street, but as they are so close together then we can put them together as one massive success.
The entrance has everything, the only thing letting it down is the really poor sign over the door, surely we can do better than that - the sign, I suspect hides the original purpose of the building - the technical and mining college.
The Council Offices
This building also houses the library, the entrance to which is on the other side of the block in the much more modern Life Centre.
This building is the king of all the buildings in Wigan. It is just incredible.
as the council offices go back up Hewlett Street (to the right on the image above) they then quite perfectly blend into some new construction, which has been hidden behind and above the original red bricks and walls.
That goes on to form the ultra-modern glass-fronted Life Centre a little further up Millgate towards the town centre.
Staying on Library Street and turning your back on all the town hall splendour you will see various buildings and entrances to businesses.
However, look up ... more superb work and different to all the rest yet again.
Our final trip is down King Street on a journey of hope.
We have already seen buildings that have been saved and lovingly refurbished, and right now that very thing is happening here.
The Royal Court Theatre
Another building that was left to rack and ruin and allowed to rot away, before being rescued and re-purposed.
The refurbishment is part way through, but already it looks clean and free from trees and shrubs growing out of its roof.
The red bricks of the buildings in Wigan are part of the town's history and heritage and should be preserved for years to come.
It is just a shame that none of the new stuff that is being built seems to have any of this skill or character - steel frames and glass windows are taking over the world, and whilst there is a time and place for them, it would be nice to invest in something amazing every now and then.