Building Name

Pendleton Town Hall, Broughton Road, Pendleton, Salford

Date
1865 - 1868
Street
Broughton Road
District/Town
Pendleton, Salford
County/Country
GMCA, England
Client
Salforf Corporaton
Work
New Build
Status
Demolished
Contractor
Cochran and Company, Manchester,

NEW TOWN HALL, PENDLETON - It having been decided upon that a Town Hall should be erected for the district of Pendleton, six architects of Manchester were invited by the Finance and Town Hall Committee to furnish designs in competition, for a building not to exceed £9,000 in cost. After careful discussion, it was decided to adopt the design in the Italian style prepared by Mr Darbyshire of St James's Square. At the last meeting of the Town hall Committee, that gentleman was commissioned to proceed with the works, and the building is to be commenced forthwith under his superintendence. The building is to be erected on a plot of land situated at the corner of Broughton Road and Broad Street, with the principal front towards the church (St Thomas). The site, until recently, has been occupied by a large residence, which, if we recollect correctly, was known as Rose Villa. The Town Hall will contain on the ground floor the various Committee rooms and offices for the transaction of the district business, including the police department. The principal entrance will be from Broughton Road, with another entrance in the Broad Street front, each entrance communicating with corridors leading to the grand staircase. These corridors will be paved with encaustic tiles, and the walls will be lined to a height of 4 feet, forming a dado of the same material. The principal staircase will be approached through a colonnade of arches carried on polished Aberdeen granite columns, with carved capitals in Caen stone; this colonnade will support the landing above leading into the large assembly room. The staircase will be constructed with a centre flight and continued right and left: the ceiling will be divided into panels, having a rich cornice with centre flowers and pendants for sun lights. The staircase will be lighted by a large semi-circular headed window, which it is suggested by the architect should be filled with medallions, having the arms blazoned in coloured glass, of the principal corporate towns of the county; the centre compartment having a figure of the Queen in full regal costume, as Lady of the Manor of Salford and Duchess (sic) of Lancaster, the royal arms and supporters blazoned above. On the first floor the principal apartment will be the assembly room, measuring 85 feet by 39 feet 6 inches, and having a clear height of 30 feet. The ceiling will be richly panelled and under each beam end will be an elaborate bracket coming down on to the wall. At the Broad Street end a movable platform will be constructed, and a wood dado will run round the room, all the woodwork being stained and varnished. Convenient to the platform will be the ante-rooms for performers, lecturers, etc; then follow the retiring rooms for ladies and gentlemen and the staircase leading to the second floor at the back of the building, containing four large spare rooms, suitable for supper-rooms, refreshment rooms, offices etc. The whole of the basement will be cellared, and here will be situated the large kitchen, heating apparatus, lavatories, etc. The building will also contain a dwelling for the use of the hall-keeper. The style of the design is Italian, or rather a French treatment of Italian, the most remarkable feature being the assembly-room storey, with its row of handsomely circular-headed windows divided by pilasters with richly carved caps supporting the main cornice, the frieze of which will be elaborately carved with festoons of flowers and medallion heads. Springing from the cornice, in the centre of the Broughton Road elevation, will be an attic storey, surmounted by a pediment containing the corporate arms etc, the apex of the pediment will be crowned by an allegorical figure carved in stone, and the acroteria will have vases, also in stone. Over this pediment will rise a domical roof, sustaining a clock turret, with balcony round. The roofs will be pitched high, and have turrets surmounted by cresting at the three angles of the main streets. The principal entrance doorway and portico will be an important feature, having coupled Corinthian columns on each side and cornice with circular pediment filled with carving. The materials used will be stock bricks for the facings of the principal fronts, and all the dressings to the windows, doors etc will be of stone; all the external stone being Yorkshire, polished and tooled according to its position in the elevations. From the architect=s drawings and designs the arrangements appear to be everything that could be desired, and essentially adapted to the requirements of a building of this class.[Manchester Guardian 25 February 1865 page 5]

SALFORD TOWN COUNCIL - At the monthly meeting of Salford Town Council held on 1 March 1865 it was reported that the Committee had approved of a design for the new Town Hall at a meeting held on 10 February. The mayor noted that  a lengthy paragraph which had appeared in the newspapers may have given the impression that the committee had been unanimous in their choice. Three designs had been voted upon:

Alfred Darbyshire - Classical         approved by seven votes to five
Alfred Darbyshire - Gothic            rejected by seven votes to four
Clegg and Knowles                          rejected by seven votes to five

PENDLETON TOWN HALL – Yesterday afternoon the Mayor of Salford (Wright Turner) laid the corner stone of a new Town Hall at Pendleton. The site is near St Thomas’s Church. The style is to be French-Italian, freely treated. The structure will serve the purpose of municipal overseers’ and police offices, and is provided with a large assembly room. The whole is estimated to cost £9,300, and must be completed by 1st May 1867. Mr A Darbyshire, St James’s Square, Manchester is the architect; and the contractors are Messrs Cochran and Company. [Manchester Guardian23 November 1865 page 3]

PENDLETON - The new Town‑hall for the Pendleton district of Salford borough is nearly finished. The building is situated at the corner of Broad‑street and Broughton‑road, and has, from its commanding and open position, a very pleasing effect. It is built in the Italian style of architecture, and is from the designs of Mr Alfred Darbyshire, of this city, the contractors being Messrs Cochrane, Parker, and Co, also of this city. The probable cost will be from ,8,000 to ,10,000.[ Building News 24 January 1868 page 70]

NEW TOWN HALL, PENDLETON. This building, which is now rapidly approaching completion, is erected on a plot of land situated at the corner of Broughton-road and Broad-street, with the principal front in Broughton-road, looking to the church. The building contains, the ground floor, the various committee-rooms and offices, for the transaction of district business, including the police department, the principal entrance being from Broughton-road, with another entrance in the Broad-street front, and both communicating with corridors leading to the grand staircase. These corridors will be paved with encaustic tiles, and the walls will be lined to a height of ft., forming dado of the same material. The principal staircase is approached through a colonnade of arches carried on red Mansfield shafts, with richly - carved capitals; this colonnade supports the landing above leading into the large assembly-room. The staircase is constructed with a centre flight, and continues right and left. The ceiling is divided into panels, having a rich cornice with centre flowers, and pendants for sunlights. The staircase is lighted by a large semi-circular headed window, which it suggested by the architect should be filled with medallions, having the arms blazoned in coloured glass of the principal corporate towns of the county, the centre compartment having a figure of the Queen, in «..ii u „e full regal costume, as Lady of the Manor of Salford” and “Duchess of Lancaster," the Royal arms and supporters blazoned above. On the first floor the principal apartment is the Assembly room, 85 ft. by ft. 6 in., and having clear height of 30 ft. The ceiling will be richly panelled, and under each beam* end will be elabora*e bracket, coming down on to the wall. At the Broad-street end a movable platform will be constructed, and a wood dado will run round the room, all the woodwork being stained and varnished. Near the platform is the ante-room for performers, lecturers, Ac. Then follow the retiring-rooms for ladies and gentlemen, and the staircase leading to the second floor at the back of the building, containing four large spare rooms, suitable for supper rooms, refreshment rooms, or offices. The whole of the basement is cellared, in which are situated the large kitchen, heating apparatus, lavatories, Ac. The building will also contain a dwelling for the use the hall-keeper. The style of the design is Italian, or rather a French treatment of the Italian, the most remarkable feature being the assembly-room story, with its row of handsome circular-headed windows, divided by pilasters, with richly-carved caps supporting the main cornice, the frieze of which will be elaborately carved with festoons of flowers and circular discs of polished Aberdeen granite Springing from this cornice, in the centre of the Broughton-road elevation, will be attic story, surmounted by a pediment containing the corporate arms, Ac. The apex of the pediment will be crowned by an allegorical figure carved in stone; and the acroteria will have vases, also in stone. Over this pediment will rise a domical roof, finished with an ornamental cornice, having lead flat, and surmounted by a balcony railing, and metal corona supporting a flagstaff. The roofs will be pitched high, and have turrets surmounted with cresting the four angles. The principal entrance doorway and portico will be an important feature, having coupled columns on each side, and cornice with circular pediment over, filled with carving. The building is faced on its two principal fronts entirely with polished Yorkshire stone. The sculpture and carving, being somewhat fresh in feeling, have been well and satisfactorily executed by Mr. T. Gregory and assistants, of Manchester. The edifice is from a design by Mr. Alfred Darbishire, and the contract for the whole of the works is in the hands of Messrs Cochran and Co, and was taken by them at £9245, which, by various improvements, has already been exceeded, the total cost being rather more than £10,000; and they bid fair to produce work which will redound to their credit and enhance their position as one of the most extensive and respectable building firms in Manchester. [Illustrated Times 2 February 1867 page 8 and 10]

PENDLETON TOWN HALL, CORPORATION OF SALFORD - The new Town-hall for Pendleton is now completed, and arrangements will shortly be made for a formal opening of it. It has been erected from the designs of Mr. Alfred Darbyshire, architect. The first stone was laid on the 22nd of November, 1865, on which occasion the Mayor, Mr. Wright Turner, gave some interesting particulars of the progress of the district. In looking back to what Pendleton was half a century ago, he found, he said, that in 1801, that district was but a small suburban village of Manchester or Salford. It contained at that time 3,611 inhabitants, and in 1831, 8,455, the number of people having more than doubled in the course of thirty-one years. But in 1861 Pendleton had increased threefold in this respect, as in that year it contained 20,900 inhabitants, or, including a sub-district now incorporated with Pendleton, a total of 25,448. However great the increase of inhabitants might have been, the property in the district had increased in a greater degree. He could find no record of the assessable property in 1801; but in 1831 the property assessable to poor rates amounted to £16,52, while in 1861 the total was £107,308. Thus, it would appear that the population had increased sevenfold in sixty years, and the property sevenfold in thirty years. Under those circumstances, the conclusion must be arrived at that the Finance Committee of the Salford Town Council had not gone far wrong in determining to erect a town-hall of the dimensions proposed, especially as, according to the past increase, the number of inhabitants would, in the course of thirty years, equal the population of Bolton, namely, 100,000, and would have property of the rateable value of a million of money. If in Bolton £80,000 were to be spent in the erection of a new town-hall, surely, he said, the Pendleton people ought not to he blamed for contemplating the expenditure of £9,400 in a town-hall for a district which would before long be as large as Bolton was.

The style of the building has been termed French Italian, having, however, a Medieval character introduced into the details. The two fronts to Broughton-road and Broad-street are faced with stone from the Halifax quarries, with bands of grey introduced. The portico in Broughton-road contains in the pediment the arms of the Duchy of Lancaster, and the key-stone over the doorway is carved with a head of " Time-houonr'd Lancaster," with the rose underneath. The pediment under the dome contains, surrounded by scrollwork, the arms of the borough of Salford, and the arms of the corporate towns of the county are introduced in medallions on each side of the assembly-room windows. The pediment is crowned by a figure of Civic Dignity, holding the corporate mace. Between the ground-floor windows are large medallion heads, representing Conquest, Monarchy, Commerce, and the Laws.

On the ground-floor are the offices for the transaction of the district business, such as for the overseers and collectors, surveyor, and two large committee-rooms. Tho police department contains a dwelling for the inspector, police. office, charge-room, parade-room, and three cells. The whole of the building is cellared, and here are the heating apparatus, kitchens, lamp-lighter's room, lavatories, and conveniences for the offices above. The principal staircase is lighted by a large semi-circular-headed window of stained glass, by Messrs. Edmundson & Son, of Manchester. The centre compartment contains a figure of the Queen, in the robes of the Garter, as Lady of the Manor of Salford and Duchess of Lancaster. In the semicircle above are the Royal arms and supporters, and under the figure are the arms of the duchy. In compartments running round the window are the seals of the corporate towns of the county, as also those of the late Prince Consort and the Prince of Wales. On the first-floor is an assembly-room, 85 feet 4 in. by 39 feet. 5 in., and 29 feet 6 in. high. The ceiling is divided into bays, richly panelled, and laid on Nickson & Waddingham's patent slate ground. Attached to this room are retiring rooms for ladies, gentlemen, and performers. On the second floor is a lecture-room, 29 feet by 21 feet 6 in., and several spare rooms. The roof of the building is so constructed that additional accommodation can be obtained with ease at any future time.

The contract was let to Cochran & Co., of Manchester, for £9,245; the total cost, however, by improvements and additions, will exceed £10,0000 exclusive of fittings and furniture. The stonework has been executed by Mr. G. Sanders; the brickwork by Griffiths & Johnson; the plastering by Mr. Jelly, of Pendleton, assisted by Mr. H. George; the heating apparatus was supplied by Mr. Cowell, of Salford; and the carving, sculpture, and plaster enrichments have been executed by Mr. T. Gregory. The floor and wall tiles are by Godwin, of Hereford, laid by Mr. D. Conway; the crestings and ornamental ironwork were supplied by Macfarlane & Co., of Glasgow. Mr. R. Riding was the clerk of works. We may add that the whole of the works have been executed under the immediate superintendence of the architect. [Builder 25 January 1868 page 60 with plans]

Five bays. Main windows with Venetian tracery. Roofs of the French pavilion type. Porch of paired columns. Demolished. [Pevsner South Lancashire Page 396]

Reference    Manchester Guardian 25 February 1865 page 5
Reference    Manchester Guardian 2 March 1865 page 3 -Salford Town Council
Reference    Manchester Guardian23 November 1865 page 3 – foundation stone
Reference    Illustrated Times 2 February 1867 page 8 and 10 with illustration
Reference    Building News 24 January 1868 page 70
Reference    Pevsner South Lancashire Page 396