Conservative Club, 40 Burnley Road East, Waterfoot, Rossendale

On Saturday afternoon the memorial stones of new Conservative Club, which is in coarse of erection at Newchurch, Rossendale Valley, were laid—one by Captain Lord Charles Beresford, M.P., and the other by Mrs. B. Mitchell of Springfield House.  … The plans for the new club were prepared by Mr. P. D. Lodge, architect, of Manchester. The principal entrance is in the Burnley-road, and surmounting it will be a tower which will afford the members the luxury of an open-air lounge commanding extensive view of the valley. On the ground floor is an assembly room which will seat from 350 to 400 persons. A spacious stone staircase leads to the first floor, where there will be two billiard rooms, a large committee room, reading room, and other apartments. The cost of the building, including furnishing, will be about £2.000. [Manchester Courier 1 July 1889 page 5]

NEW CLUB BUILDING, NEWCHURCH - The Marquis of Salisbury opened, on the 3rd inst., a new Conservative Club-house at Newchurch, Lancashire. The building is designed in a Late Gothic style of architecture. It has been simply treated, the walls being faced with parpoints and having ashlar dressings. The assembly-room provides accommodation for over 400 people, and has a separate entrance for the public from the side street. Retiring rooms, ladies’ room, lavatories, kitchen, etc., are arranged around the assembly-room. From the entrance-hall a staircase leads to the first floor, on which are situated the club-rooms, consisting of two billiard-rooms, reading room, and rooms for the committee, secretary, and steward, as well as a room for dominoes, chess, etc. The cost of the building is £2,000, and the work has been carried out from the designs and under the supervision of the architect, Mr. Percy D. Lodge, of Manchester [Builder 13 December 1890 page 467]

Waterfoot Conservative Club, 40 Burnley Road East. Dating from 1889, the architect was PD Lodge of Manchester and the builder George Benson. The 'pitch-faced' stone is Haslingden Flag from Windle's Scout Bottom Quarry. Lighter coloured gritstone ashlar dressings are from Bankhouse Quarry Bacup and are Rough Rock. [Waterfoot Town Trail]

 Reference           Manchester Courier 1 July 1889 page 5]