Ashton-in-Makerfield Town Hall

Last updated

Ashton-in-Makerfield Town Hall
Ashton-in-Makerfield Town Hall.jpg
The building in 2008
LocationBryn Street, Ashton-in-Makerfield
Coordinates 53°29′14″N2°38′21″W / 53.4873°N 2.6393°W / 53.4873; -2.6393
Built1876
Demolished2017
ArchitectHenry Ridsdale
Architectural style(s) Victorian style
Greater Manchester UK location map 2.svg
Red pog.svg
Shown in Greater Manchester

Ashton-in-Makerfield Town Hall, formerly Ashton-in-Makerfield Urban District Council Offices, was a municipal building in Bryn Street, Ashton-in-Makerfield, a town in Greater Manchester, England. The building, which served as the offices and meeting place of Ashton-in-Makerfield Urban District Council, was demolished in 2017.

History

Following significant population growth, largely associated with the mining industry, a local board of health was established in Ashton-in-Makerfield in 1872. [1] [2] The board immediately set about commissioning a municipal building for the town: the site they selected was on the west side of Bryn Street. [3] The new building was designed by Henry Ridsdale of Rainhill in the Victorian style, built in red brick at a cost of £2,800 and was completed in 1876. [4] [5]

The design involved an asymmetrical main frontage of seven bays facing onto Bryn Street. The third bay on the left featured a squared headed doorway surmounted by a stone carved with the words "Town Hall" and a segmental shaped hood mould. There was a tripartite window on the first floor. The other two bays in the left hand section were fenestrated by sash windows with segmental shaped hood moulds on the ground floor and by sash windows with entablatures on the first floor. The right-hand section of four bays, which was gabled, was fenestrated by sash windows with segmental shaped hood moulds on the ground floor, and by a pair of arched windows with architraves flanked, on either side, by sash windows on the first floor. The gable was surmounted by a weather vane. Internally, the principal rooms were a public hall, a council chamber and various offices. [5]

Four commemorative stones recording extracts from the stock ledgers of local charities, The Ashton Linen Stock Charity, The Ashton Woollen (or 'Coat') Stock Charity and The Ashton Breeches Stock Charity, were recovered from the old St Thomas' Church when it was demolished in 1890, and installed on the staircase in the building. [6] In 1894, the local board of health was succeeded by Ashton-in-Makerfield Urban District Council, which also used the building as its headquarters. [7] [8]

The building continued to serve as the headquarters of the district council for much of the 20th century, [9] but ceased to be the local seat of government when the enlarged Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council was formed in 1974. [10] The new council continued to use the building for the delivery of local services until it was deemed surplus to requirements and marketed for sale. [11] It was then sold it to a developer, Eric Wright Health and Care, in October 2015. [12] In January 2017, the developer started demolition of the building, [13] [14] replacing it with a new health facility, which opened in 2019. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashton-in-Makerfield</span> Town in Greater Manchester, England

Ashton-in-Makerfield is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Wigan. As of the 2021 census, there was a population of 26,380.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Borough of Wigan</span> Borough of Greater Manchester, England

The Metropolitan Borough of Wigan is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest town, Wigan but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Atherton, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Golborne, Hindley, Ince-in-Makerfield, Leigh and Tyldesley. The borough also covers the villages and suburbs of Abram, Aspull, Astley, Bryn, Hindley Green, Lowton, Mosley Common, Orrell, Pemberton, Shevington, Standish, Winstanley and Worsley Mesnes. The borough is also the second-most populous district in Greater Manchester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beeston Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Beeston, Nottinghamshire, England

Beeston Town Hall is a municipal building in Foster Avenue in Beeston, Nottinghamshire, England. The building was formerly the offices of Beeston and Stapleford Urban District Council and is now used by the Redeemer Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crickhowell Market Hall</span> Municipal Building in Crickhowell, Wales

Crickhowell Market Hall, formerly Crickhowell Town Hall, is a municipal building in the High Street, Crickhowell, Powys, Wales. The structure, which accommodates market stalls on the ground floor and a café on the first floor, is a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kinross Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Kinross, Scotland

Kinross Town Hall forms part of a complex of municipal buildings in the High Street, Kinross, Perth and Kinross, Scotland. The town hall, which has been converted for residential use, is a Category B listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gatehouse of Fleet Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Gatehouse of Fleet, Scotland

Gatehouse of Fleet Town Hall is a former municipal building in the High Street in Gatehouse of Fleet, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The structure, which is now in private residential ownership, provides access to a fine ornamental garden behind the town hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gifford Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Gifford, Scotland

Gifford Town Hall is a municipal building in The Square, Gifford, East Lothian, Scotland. The structure, which is used as a community events venue, is a Category B listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denny Town House</span> Municipal building in Denny, Scotland

Denny Town House is a municipal building in Glasgow Road, Denny, Falkirk, Scotland. The structure is used by Falkirk Council for the provision of local services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Buildings, Selkirk</span> Courthouse in Duns, Scotland

County Buildings is a municipal structure in Ettrick Terrace, Selkirk, Scottish Borders, Scotland. The complex, which was the headquarters of Selkirkshire County Council and was also used as a courthouse, is a Category B listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hindley Town Hall</span> Judicial building in Hindley, Greater Manchester, England

Hindley Town Hall, also known as Hindley Council Offices, is a municipal building in Cross Street, Hindley, Greater Manchester, England. The building is currently used by Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council for the delivery of local health and social care services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ince-in-Makerfield Town Hall</span> Judicial building in Ince-in-Makerfield, Greater Manchester, England

Ince-in-Makerfield Town Hall, also known as Ince-in-Makerfield Council Offices, is a municipal building in Ince Green Lane, Ince-in-Makerfield, Greater Manchester, England. The building is currently used as a children's nursery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abram Council Offices</span> Municipal building in Abram, Greater Manchester, England

Abram Council Offices is a municipal building in Warrington Road, Abram, Greater Manchester, England. The building is currently used as private apartments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corn Hall, Cirencester</span> Commercial building in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England

The Corn Hall is a commercial building in the Market Place, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England. The structure, which is used as a shopping arcade and community events venue, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skegness Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Skegness, Lincolnshire, England

Skegness Town Hall is a municipal building on North Parade in Skegness, a town in Lincolnshire in England. The building, which served as a convalescent home before being converted for municipal use, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swadlincote Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Swadlincote, Derbyshire, England

Swadlincote Town Hall is a municipal building in The Delph in Swadlincote, a town in Derbyshire in England. The building, which serves a community events venue, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bakewell Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Bakewell, Derbyshire, England

Bakewell Town Hall is a municipal building in Anchor Street in Bakewell, a town in Derbyshire in England. The building, which serves a community events venue, is also the home of Bakewell Town Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oswaldtwistle Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, England

Oswaldtwistle Town Hall is a municipal building in Union Road, Oswaldtwistle, a town in Lancashire, England. The building accommodated the Oswaldtwistle Civic Arts Centre until it closed in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prescot Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Prescot, Merseyside, England

Prescot Town Hall is a municipal building in Warrington Road, Prescot, a town in Merseyside, England. The building is currently used as the offices and meeting place of Prescot Town Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uppermill Civic Hall</span> Municipal building in Uppermill, Greater Manchester, England

Uppermill Civic Hall, also known as Saddleworth Civic Hall, is a municipal building in Lee Street, Uppermill, a village in Greater Manchester in England. The building currently serves as the offices and meeting place of Saddleworth Parish Council.

Kearsley Town Hall was a municipal building in Kearsley, a town in Greater Manchester, in England. The building, which was the headquarters of Kearsley Urban District Council, was demolished in 2013.

References

  1. ↑ "Ashton-in-Makerfield Urban District Council". National Archives. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  2. ↑ Farrer, William; Brownbill, J. (1911). "'Townships: Ashton', in A History of the County of Lancaster". London: British History Online. pp. 142–148. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  3. ↑ "Ordnance Survey Map". 1914. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
  4. ↑ "Ashton-in-Makerfield Town Hall". Wigan Buildings. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Ashton-in-Makerfield". Kelly's Directory of Lancashire. 1905. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  6. ↑ "Ashton Stock Charities Ledgers, Town Hall, Ashton in Makerfield". The Makefield Rambler. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  7. ↑ "Ashton-in-Makerfield Conservation Area Appraisal" (PDF). Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council. p. 9. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  8. ↑ Notices to correspondents etc. Vol. 119. The Journal of Gas Lighting, Water Supply & Sanitary Improvement. 23 July 2012. p. 289.
  9. ↑ "No. 46197". The London Gazette . 1 February 1974. p. 1408.
  10. ↑ Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70. The Stationery Office Ltd. 1997. ISBN   0-10-547072-4.
  11. ↑ "Former Ashton Town Hall, Bryn Street, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Greater Manchester". Movehut. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  12. ↑ "Concern over plans to demolish old town hall". Wigan Today. 13 October 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  13. ↑ Frost, Richard (25 January 2017). "Town hall transformation approved". Insider Media. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  14. ↑ "Town hall razed for clinic". Wigan Today. 29 August 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  15. ↑ "Medical centre on former town hall site". Health Service Journal. 9 January 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.