Page 28 - Real Rochdale Issue 09 Winter 2020

Rochdale Town Hall
Although incorporated as a
borough in 1856, it was 1863
before a town hall for
Rochdale was agreed.
In 1864, from among 27
hopefuls, a Yorkshireman
aged only 30, William Henry
Crossland won the
architectural competition to
design it. £20,000 was
allocated and the site beside
the River Roch purchased.
Elaborate designs drawing
on mythical and naturalistic
motifs, as well as local history
and industry, sent costs
spiralling, reaching an
extraordinary £154,755. The
Mayor justified the huge
expense, saying that ‘one
cannot have beauty without
paying for it’.
Rochdale Town Hall became
Crossland’s most important
commission to date and the
first full-length biography of
REAL ROCHDALE - WINTER 2020
Then and Now
Crossland, written by Sheila
Binns, was published in
September by the
Lutterworth Press.
Born in Huddersfield, W H
Crossland trained under
George Gilbert Scott and his
busy practice in the West
Riding established a good
reputation designing churches
and secular buildings.
The town hall was officially
opened on 27 September
1871, ablaze with gaslight.
A tower with a spire on a civic
building was a luxury afforded
by few towns. The town hall
boasted a 240-foot-tall clock
tower topped with a statue of
St George and his dragon on a
wooden spire.
Rochdale was growing rapidly
through wealth generated by
the textile industry and the
magnificent town hall made a
28
A major refurbishment is due
Photo: Rochdale Local Studies Touchstones
strong statement of
confidence and pride.
The present tower by
architect Alfred Waterhouse -
who was also responsible for
Manchester Town Hall - was
added after the original
was destroyed by a fire in
April 1883.
Constructed between the
years of 1885 and 1887, the
now stone structure stands at
190 feet and houses five bells.
What was the Clock Tower
Library was also destroyed in
the fire, resulting in the
opening of the nearby
Touchstones as a ‘free public
library’ a year later.
Nearly 150 years on,
described as one of the dozen
most ambitious High
Victorian town halls in Eng-
land, Rochdale’s remains one
of the finest in the country.
its historic features including Plans for a town hall square
to start on the town hall next
year, with the Gothic-revival
style building in need of a
modern makeover,
safeguarding the architectural
gem for future generations
whilst showing sensitivity to
the original fixtures.
In 2018, The National Lottery
Heritage Fund approved a
first stage application to
support the project, awarding
the council £8.95 million in
funding to further develop
plans.
This was followed by a second
stage grant of £8.3 million –
announced in 2020 - to
restore many of the building’s
historic features.
The application outlines vital
conservation work to protect
the building, including
replacing the electrical
system, and restoration work
will be carried out on many of
The new ground floor exhibtion space
the Magna Carta mural and
ceiling panels in the Great
Hall, and the stained glass and
wood panelling throughout
the building.
The proposals also include the
creation of a new community
space on the second floor,
called the Bright Hall, which
can be used for smaller
weddings and functions and
by community groups.
Also in the plans is the
creation of a permanent
exhibition space in the
committee rooms on the
ground floor, the installation
of two new lifts, new toilets,
and a brand-new entrance to
make the whole building more
accessible and welcoming.
The outside of the building
will also be restored, cleaned
and better lit.
include ‘dramatically
improving’ the area around
the building and creating a
‘high quality link’ with the
Gardens, part of a £3 million
already existing Memorial
redesign.
The redevelopment is part of
the wider £400 million
regeneration of Rochdale
town centre, which has
included the award-winning
River Roch re-opening scheme
and its historic bridge, the
new transport Interchange
and Metrolink stop, and the
new Rochdale Riverside retail
and leisure development.
Rochdale Town Hall will close
on 18 December. From 1
January 2021, services such
as The Mayor’s Office and
Register Office will
relocate, and the town hall will
be closed entirely for
approximately three years
while renovations take place.
The new Bright Hall