Wesleyan Mission Victoria Hall Knowsley Street Bolton

A Victoria Wesleyan Hall has just been built in Knowsley street, Bolton, at a cost of £30,000, including purchase of portion of site. The architects are Messrs Bradshaw and Gass, of Bolton. [Building News 4 March 1898 page 304]

BOLTON - Memorial stones were laid on Friday of the Victoria Central Wesleyan Mission Hall, Bolton. The Victoria Hall proper, as distinct from its adjuncts, will accommodate 2,000 people, and will, in fact, be the largest building in Methodism. It occupies the site of the old Ridgeway Gates Chapel, and a new frontage has been made to Knowsley street. The entrance to the whole of the buildings will be in Knowsley Street. One of the shops will be converted into an entrance hall, and a tower will be built over this to the height of 90ft. A spacious vestibule is provided, having an inquiry office, and to right and left broad staircases to the gallery of the hall. Beyond these, through a double archway, are the staircases to the lower floor. Past these staircases are the doorways to the main floor of the Victoria Hall, on the level of Knowsley street. The centre part of the floor is sloped from front to back, and at the sides the seats are arranged tier above tier, so that everyone can have an uninterrupted view of the platform. The gallery has five tiers of seats at the sides, and twelve tiers at the back. The hall will be 117 feet long and 72 feet broad. As externally it will be very little seen, with the exception of the entrance tower, it will be severely plain. The internal roof will be arched and panelled with coved sides over part of the gallery. The windows will have arched heads, and will be filled in with painted glass. The platform recess will be arranged with broad pilasters and corbelled beams, the back being coved. The platform itself will be large enough for an orchestra and choir, and its front will be brought forward and rounded. The whole of the buildings will be lighted by electric light. Messrs. Bradshaw and Gass, of Bolton, are the architects, and the total cost, including additional land, will be between £20,000 and £30,000. [Building News 13 May 1898 page 670]

VICTORIA HALL, BOLTON - It is said that Bolton was the first ‘town’ in the country to have a Central Hall – the earlier ones being in ‘cities’. It was largely the result of the efforts of Thomas Walker who owned a large leather works in the town that the idea was progressed. The architects appointed were Bradshaw & Gass of Bolton who were faced with a difficult sloping site by the River Croal. They made full use of the slope with basement halls and classrooms. The Hall was opened in March I900. The social and mission work grew apace and in I907 the King's Hall was opened adjacent to Trinity Chapel

on Bradshawgate again to designs by Bradshaw & Gass. Both Halls served their purpose but sadly the poor state of repair at the King’s Hall forced its closure in I958 with the work now concentrated on the Victoria Hall. The former Hall has since been demolished but the Victoria Hall work continues with the Hall used for worship, various musical events, graduation ceremonies and it played host recently to the BBC Songs of Praise ‘School Choirs of the Year’ contest. [GMCPS Newsletter Autumn 2019]

Reference    Building News 4 March 1898 page 304
Reference    Building News 13 May 1898 page 670
Reference    Greater Manchester Churches Preservation Society Newsletter No 36 Autumn 2019