North Wing: Peel Park Museum & Art Gallery Peel Park the Crescent Salford

The Museum and Art Gallery stand on the site of Lark Hill, a mansion erected in the 1790s by Col James Ackers, High Sheriff of Lancashire. In 1822 it was described as 'the finely‑situated house of James Ackers' which with the Church of St Philip (then in the course of erection) and "the handsome crescent together with the meandering river, in silver radiance, winding through the ever‑verdant valley of Broughton form an assemblage of objects very rarely equalled."  The house and estate were later purchased by William Garnett, who was also to become High Sheriff following his acquisition of Quernmore Park Estate and Bleasdale Forest near Lancaster. Garnett sold the Lark Hill estate to the Manchester Public Parks Committee in 1845 for £5,000 of which £500 was to be retained as his contribution to the fund. The land at the rear of the estate, known as Wallness Flat, was set out as a public park, opened in 1846, and the house converted into refreshment rooms.  In 1850, due to the efforts of Joseph Brotherton and Alderman Langworthy, the house became the home of the first municipal free library and museum. Although it was originally intended that this should open on 1 January 1850, it was not until 9 January that the official ceremony took place, attended by dignitaries from both Manchester and Salford. The Library and Museum were immensely popular, the library issuing 33,461 books in 1853 while the museum attracted over one million visitors in the first five years, despite a lengthy closure in 1853.  The numbers continued to increase. In 1857 the Museum attracted 888,830 visitors, the number visiting the British Museum being 621,034 in the same year. In 1938 the original part of Lark Hill House was demolished after being found to be in poor structural condition, and a new east wing addedEXTENSION TO THE SALFORD ROYAL MUSEUM & LIBRARY - A total sum of about £2500 having been raised, the committee procured plans from several architects and those from Messrs Travis and Mangnall were approved of and they had orders to complete their plans and afterwards proceed with the works. The new building which is now in the course of erection and was commenced about three months ago, is situated at the west end of the library and museum and stands upon the site of the site formerly occupied by the yard and out-houses. The building is described in the Manchester Courier is to be two stories high and of the Italian style of architecture. [Builder 10 October 1852 Page 631]

In 1852 work began on the north wing, the first of several extensions to house the rapidly increasing collection.  The north wing contained a library and reading room with a picture gallery above. In September 1853 E R Langworthy reported that the works were approaching completion, sufficient to allow the public back into the building by the end of the month.  In 1852 among the donations of specimens and books, the following were received from Manchester architects:  From Mr Goldsmith, architect, Bond Street, Manchester, the tail of an elephant, specimen of a heron gull and two snipes and cocoa nut leaf; From Mr E Corbett, specimen of a trout.  [Donations to the Salford Museum and Library, Manchester Guardian 30 October 1852 page 6]

ENLARGEMENT OF SALFORD ROYAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM - The building of the Royal Library and Museum at Salford, has now been enlarged so as to form part of a still more extensive design, and was reopened on the 1st inst. The work has been carried out under the superintendence of Messrs Travis and Mangnall, of Manchester, architects, the designers of the enlargement. The alterations consist of the re-arrangement of the rooms of the old house, the additions in the erection of a spacious new building on part of the site of the old stables and out-offices at the back, - the rest of the site being laid out for the construction of another wing at some future time.  The new portion of the building is of stock bricks, and presents five large arches with stone keys, beneath each of which are two windows. Above them is a cornice, marking the height of the reading-room; then a large mass of brickwork, relieved by a thin band of stone, forming the walls of the picture-gallery; above that another cornice, on which is imposed a finishing tier of brickwork, hiding the sloping roofs of the gallery. There are various ornaments upon the corners to complete the design. Internally, however, the alterations will strike the visitor as much more considerable. They are fully described, with plan, in the Manchester Courier, from which we glean a few particulars. The dimensions of the whole areas follow; — Length of portico front, 63 feet; length of library, 64 feet 9 inches; length of reading-room, 75 feet; giving a total length of 139 feet. The entrance hall and corridor are 64 feet 9 inches long, and the staircase-hall, and staircase, 12 feet long by 25 feet wide. The vestibule of the corridor within the portico is a space 18 feet long by 12 feet broad. The lower corridor measures 47 feet in length by 18 feet in width, and 13 feet 6 inches in height. The corridor is filled with statuary. The floor is of stone, and there is about 11 feet clear space between the pedestals The hall in front of the grand staircase, which is next entered, and where the new building begins, is 17 feet in length, width 25 feet. Opening from this hall the most extensive apartment is the reading room below the picture-gallery. The length of the reading-room is 75 feet, width 30 feet, height 16 feet.  The grand staircase is constructed in a building erected on purpose for it and the hall in its front. It is of polished stone. There are first, fifteen steps 8 feet 6 inches long, rising 7 inches, and with 1 foot tread. Up each side is a baluster of 2 feet 10 inches high, starting from massive square pedestals, and finishing in the same on the first landing. The building is 24 feet 6 inches by 10 feet 6 inches, and is adorned with sculpture.

The picture-gallery opens from the upper landing. It is of the same proportions, in respect to length and breadth but something higher than the reading-room, upon which it rests. it is lighted by sloping lights along both sides and one end, forming a portion of roof, and resting upon the upper edge of an enriched cove, Cast-iron has been extensively used in the construction of the roof, which is divided into five sections by enriched arches. The arrangement of the roof and light follows that of the of Lord Northcote, at Cheltenham, with such improvements the skill of the architects suggested, wall space being extensive. It is Intended to occupy the floor of the room with cases filled with specimens of the industrial products of this and other districts. As the building is of great height, and this room of considerable altitude, iron girders rest upon the wall pilasters, almost taking the form of abutments; and upon these girders so supported is imposed the weight of the beams forming the upper part of the cove upon which the thrust of the sloping roof is cast. The upper corridor extends over the lower, and is of the same dimensions in length and width. The architects seem to have had an awkward task to arrange it, as the floor of the upper storey of the old building is 3 feet 6 inches lower than the height they required for the ceiling of their reading room and landings. They have therefore constructed a descent from the landing of six steps of wood, each 7 inches deep. The opening for this short flight of steps is 12 feet, and its height about 8 feet. The foreign natural history room extends along the whole front of the building, and measures 60 feet by 18 feet.

The contractors for tbc works connected with the enlargement were: for the woodwork, Messrs Southern of Salford, for the grand staircase, Mr Charles Sigley; plastering and painting, Messrs Ward and Co. of Strangeways, Mr Joseph Barker; stonework, James Dawson; plumbing and glazing, Messrs Harrison, of Salford. [Builder 22 October 1853 page 657-658].

Reference    Manchester Faces and Places
Reference    Builder 10 October 1852 Page 631
Reference    Manchester Guardian 30 June 1852 page 5
Reference    Manchester Guardian 3 September 1853 page 8 – report by E R Langworthy
Reference    Builder 22 October 1853 page 657-658