Description

OLDHAM

SD9204NE YORKSHIRE STREET 780-1/6/99 (East side) 23/01/73 Town Hall (Formerly Listed as: YORKSHIRE STREET Town Hall) (Formerly Listed as: GREAVES STREET Side facade of the Town Hall)

GV II

Town Hall, incorporating courts and civic offices. 1841, extended 1879-80. By George Woodhouse of Bolton, Edward Potts of Oldham. Main block facing Yorkshire Street, ashlar faced, rusticated to ground floor, with slate roof. Austere Greek revival style. 2 storeys, 7 bays with Ionic portico advanced to central 3 bays. City arms in pediment. Central paired panelled doors with overlight in architrave with entablature carried on console brackets. The outer bays are articulated by shallow pilasters, and each has a 2-pane sash window. Returns are brick with stone dressings, and are linked to the later extensions which form long ranges fronting Greaves Street and Firth Street. Elevation to Greaves Street is sandstone ashlar, rusticated to ground floor, and vermiculated to massive basement plinth. Two-and-a-half storeys with attic, 5 bays, with 3 windows in outer and central bays. Central entrance in concave recessed architrave with Gibbs surround and massive keystone. Windows over doorway in recess spanned by high arch. Tripartite leaded window to first floor with cast-iron balconette. Round-arched leaded window to second floor. The advanced outer bays have coupled Ionic piers to first floor, carrying heavy cornice each side of the high central arch. Between these piers are concave full-height architraves divided by a band of stone carrying coats of arms in high relief. Square windows in moulded architraves to attic storey above. Greek key frieze over attic storey which has windows in the outer bays, and raised central blocking course with incised panels. Return elevation of 3 bays with doorway with high arch over central window and doorways on upper side. Long white glazed brick wing to west, comprising original courts and police accommodation: ventilation towers from cells still visible in roof. Return elevation to Greaves Street comprises a series of blocks employing a free monumental classical style. To rear of Firth Street block, 4 bays articulated by engaged Ionic pilasters over the ground floor, with heavy modillion cornice below attic storey, then advanced block, divided above the ground floor into three bays articulated by pilasters, the wider central bay blind. Attic storey over cornice. Beyond this, 2 similar blocks of 3 bays articulated by Corinthian pilasters over high basement, and with balustraded parapets. INTERIOR of original building has central corridor running the length of the original building, with staircase towards rear. Corridor gives access to main stair hall of additional block, which has stained glass window with figures representing industry, science, etc. Original building intended to include magistrates and committee rooms, public meeting and concert rooms, and borough surveyors offices. Wing of 1880 included police and courts accommodation, in addition to council chamber, mayor's parlour, and committee rooms. (Slater: Directory of Oldham: Oldham: 1895-).

Listing NGR: SD9272805019

External Links

• Town Hall at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q26497361

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)