Eccles Town Hall Liverpool Road, Eccles
Built on the site of the town's cock-fighting pit by the town's Board of Guardians. Taken over by the Borough of Eccles in 1893, three years after the first court sessions had been held there. Originally contained a council chamber and a ball-room, now sub-divided to form two family courtrooms. Five police cells in the basement also remain. Extended in 1899. Used as a Magistrate's court after Local Government re-organisation in 1974 until 12 April 1994 when all court business and administration was transferred to Salford Magistrates Court at Bexley Square.
ECCLES - The plans of Mr J Lowe, architect, of Manchester, for the proposed Town Hall at Eccles, have been selected from a number of others that were sent in for competition. The estimated cost of the building is £5,000. [Building News 15 August 1879 page 197]
NEW TOWN HALL, ECCLES. The foundation stone of this new building was laid on the 13th inst by the Chairman of the Local Board. The building is in the Classic style and comprises in the basement a hall keeper’s residence, heating apparatus, coal and store cellars. On the ground floor board and committee rooms, with anti-room, hat and cloak room, lavatory etc. adjacent rooms also provide for clerk, surveyor, collector and inspector. The upper floor comprises a public room with gallery and platform, affording accommodation for 1000 persons, also retiring rooms and other requirements. The principal elevation will be faced with stock bricks, relieved with Huddersfield stone to the doors and windows etc. The contract has been undertaken by Thomas Moore & Son, builders, of Eccles, at a cost of £4,000 and carried out under the superintendence of the architect, Mr John Lowe FRIBA of Manchester. [British Architect 17 September 1880 Page 134]
OPENING OF A TOWN HALL AT ECCLES – The new Town Hall, which has recently been opened at Eccles for the Local Board district of Eccles, Barton and Patricroft was opened last evening by Mr J T Hibbert MP, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Local Government Board. The building, which occupies a prominent position, is in the Italian style of architecture. The exterior is built of stock brick, with stone dressings, with an ornamental clock tower. The most important feature in connection with the hall is the large room, which is 89 feet by 40 feet, and capable of holding about 800 people. It is supplied with a gallery, orchestra platform, and three ante rooms, and will be available for public meetings, balls and other purposes. On the ground floor there are ten rooms, the board room and general office being to the front. On either side of a long encaustic tile corridor are the offices of the surveyor, the sanitary inspector, the members’ ante or retiring rooms, the clerks’ offices, and several rooms which at present are unoccupied. There are also ten rooms in the basement, where there is a cooking kitchen provided with Leamington ranges, etc, apartments for the hall-keepers, and storage rooms. It was originally intended that the tower should have been composed of wood, but Mr Robert Hall, of Oak Mount, and a member of the Board, offered to supply the tower with a clock if it were but with stone. The Board at once accepted this offer. [Manchester Guardian 4 November 1881 page 6]
Reference British Architect 15 August 1879 Page 61
Reference Building News 15 August 1879 page 197
Reference Supplement to Manchester Courier 12 June 1880 page 6 col 1
Reference Salford Weekly Courier 12 June 1880 Page 2 Column 5
Reference British Architect 23 July 1880 Page 41
Reference British Architect 17 September 1880 Page 134
Reference Building News 17 September 1880 p341
Reference Manchester Guardian 4 November 1881 page 6
Reference British Architect 18 November 1881 Page 579
Reference Building News 11 November 1881 page 640