Widnes Town Hall
Widnes Town Hall
LocationWidnes
Coordinates53°21′43″N 2°43′54″W / 53.3619°N 2.7318°W / 53.3619; -2.7318
Built1885
ArchitectF. and G. Holme
Architectural style(s)Renaissance style
Listed Building – Grade II
Official nameWidnes Town Hall
Designated31 October 1983
Reference no.1330355
Widnes Town Hall is located in Cheshire
Widnes Town Hall
Shown in Cheshire

Widnes Town Hall is a municipal building in Victoria Road in Widnes, Cheshire, England. The town hall, which was the headquarters of Widnes Borough Council, is a Grade II listed building.[1]

History

After significant industrial growth in the second half of the 19th century, particularly in relation to the chemical industry, members of the local board of health decided to procure a town hall: the site they selected had been open land in what was then little more than a village established close to the Gossage chemical works.[2]

The new building, which was designed by F. and G. Holme in the Renaissance style and built with terracotta dressings, was completed in 1885.[1] After the building became the headquarters of the new municipal borough of Widnes in 1892,[3][4] King George V visited the building and met with civic leaders on 7 July 1913.[5] However, the building ceased to be the local seat of government when the enlarged Borough of Halton was formed in 1974.[6]

In 1982 the building became the home of the Halton Chemical Industry Museum, a temporary exhibition funded by the Manpower Services Commission to celebrate the centenary of the Society of Chemical Industry.[7] As well as chemical industry exhibits, there were also displays dealing with other aspects of local history.[8] The success of the exhibition led to the formation of the Museum of the Chemical Industry (subsequently renamed the Catalyst Science Discovery Centre) at Gossage House in Widnes in 1989.[9] The town hall then became the home of the Halton Business Forum, a provider of support to local businesses.[10] The forum also relocated, in around 2004, to the new Forum Building at Widnes Waterfront, which had been established as the Borough's economic development zone.[11][12]

The town hall was then left empty and deteriorating,[13] until a developer, Stephen Lawler, acquired the building, and carried out some limited restoration works.[14] Although the rear of the ground floor and the whole of the first floor were left undeveloped and unoccupied,[15] the front part of the ground floor re-opened as a bar and night club known as "The Establishment".[16]

Description

The building is in the Renaissance style, with terracotta dressings. The design involves a symmetrical main frontage with nine bays facing onto Victoria Square with the end bays slightly projecting forward; the central bay, which also slightly projects forward, features a doorway with brackets supporting an open pediment containing a carved tympanum.[1] The doorway is flanked by twin pilasters supporting griffins bearing shields; there is a central sash window on the first floor and a smaller sash window on the attic floor, above which there is an inscription "MDCCCLXXXV" (1885).[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Historic England. "Widnes Town Hall (1330355)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  2. ↑ "Ordnance Survey Map". 1949. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  3. ↑ Farrer, William; Brownbill, J. (1907). "'Townships: Widnes', in A History of the County of Lancaster". London: British History Online. pp. 386–392. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  4. ↑ Whimperley, Arthur (1991). Widnes Through the Ages. Halton Borough Council. p. 125.
  5. ↑ "Visit of King George V to Widnes". Halton Picture Archive. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  6. ↑ Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70. The Stationery Office Ltd. 1997. ISBN 0-10-547072-4.
  7. ↑ Emsley, John (19 August 1989). "The wonderful world of Widnes: Catalyst, the museum of the chemicals industry, Widnes, Cheshire". New Scientist. Reed Business Information. Retrieved 8 August 2015. Google Books
  8. ↑ "Catalyst 2008 Acquisition & Disposal Policy". Catalyst. Archived from the original on 15 August 2009.
  9. ↑ James, Tony (15 August 1992). "Review: Catalyst loses its modesty and comes of age". New Scientist. Reed Business Information. Retrieved 23 March 2008.
  10. ↑ "Facelift takes shape". Warrington Guardian. 8 May 2002. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  11. ↑ "Halton Business Forum" (PDF). BE Group. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  12. ↑ "Halton: Gateway to Prosperity: A new economic tourism development strategy for Halton 2005-2008" (PDF). Halton Borough Council. 1 February 2005. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  13. ↑ "Work starts on Widnes Town Hall revamp". Insider Media. 24 November 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  14. ↑ "Former Widnes Town Hall converted into a restaurant, bar, coffee lounge and boutique hotel". Runcorn and Widnes World. 2 December 2009. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  15. ↑ "Section of Widnes town centre listed building due to become office space". 22 February 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  16. ↑ "Three men arrested after nightclub dancefloor assault leaves man "fighting for life"". Liverpool Echo. 27 December 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
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