Completed in 1969 to designs by Leach Rhodes and Walker in collaboration with the Borough Engineer John Whittaker
Constructed at the tail end of the Sixties – the last gasp of Municipal Modernism in the Borough, providing education, edification and entertainment for the local population.
The fountain is gone, the building is closed – the party’s over.
The Fast Cars are history – well they were history, until I was told that they are still speeding along!
A council has spent £348,000 on a masterplan for a town centre that the public has never seen.
Consultants have been used to come up with ideas to regenerate Swinton in Salford.
The town centre is dominated by the imposing Lancastrian Hall, opened in 1969, with an adjoining shopping mall.
The hall housed a council library and was used for civic and community meetings, wedding receptions and election counts.
But it has been closed since 2015 after the library moved to the new Gateway Building on the other side of Chorley Road.
So this magical structure of stairways, undercrofts, elevated walks and majestic concrete clad volumes is under threat.
Swinton and the Lancastrian Hall deserve much better.
Over 550 people took part in the recent visioning work, and we are grateful for their time and valuable contributions.
An overwhelming majority of those who shared their views saw Swinton as a good place to live and bring up a family – somewhere friendly, with a strong sense of community.
People valued their local green spaces, but strongly felt that there needed to be more investment in the town centre, and a plan to tackle empty buildings and shops.
Overall, people felt that Swinton needed to be a more vibrant place, with more going on – and more reasons for people to visit and spend their leisure time there.
This is an opportunity to create tomorrow’s local centre, but that does rely on removing the Lancastrian Hall, rethinking the shopping centre, and repurposing the Civic Centre and the spaces around it.
Modern Mooch 
Saw Fast Cars the other week in Stockport still going strong.
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So happy to hear that Alan – will amend the post!
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So many happy hours spent in lancastrian hall and library during period 1976-1991 with my two daughters.
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So lovely to hear that Anne.
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Was devastated at the closure of the library – I grew up reading books here with my grand dad throughout the 2000s and early 2010s. The library that has replaced it is nothing in comparison. Would never have made it to university without the Lancastrian hall – have been eagerly looking for a way to petition for the recovery of it for the last few years. Do you know who would be best to get in touch with? The public deserves a quality library.
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Hi
Just come across this article by chance, taking a trip down memory lane!!
I grew up In Swinton & lived their most of my life, getting married, & then stayed there for another a few years whilst the two children were born, eventually moved to Berkshire for 20 years then we Emigrated to Australia & we’re still married & live here now 14 years on & our Adult Children & Grandchildren.
So sad to hear that the Library has gone, I ve spent a lot of time in there in the past!!
Used to Love looking at Lowrys Picture in a Glass Case up on the wall, he use to paint in the Attic above our Drs Surgery in Station Road, hence why they named the Road opposite near the nursery after him, it really annoys me that people say he came from Salford, actually it was Swinton & Pendlebury back in them days, not Salford.
How times change, never thought the Shopping Centre would get demolished but it does need to as is was a really bad design to begin with 👍
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Like Carol Wilkinson I came across this totally by accident taking that trip down memory lane, must be an age thing, my interest in the Lanky Hall stems from happy memories of helping back stage when the Swinton & Pendle bury Arts Club Theatre Group presented plays such as Love On The Dole and Blithe Spirit, also helping the DJ on Monday nights, as well as using the library, watching the War Games Society play war games, not forgetting the Brass/Military Band Concerts on a Sunday, always a full house until some bean counter decided to up the ticket price because there wasn’t enough profit, the Monday night DJ, Gordon “Senator” Collins was replaced with a cheaper DJ from Glossop and attendance went down so much that that was axed too.
It’s so sad to see this building go to rack and ruin, but then it is a bit of a “Marmite” in that you either love it or loathe it, but then if it’s not being used then it should either be renovated or demolished, bearing in mind cost the council have to consider other priorities so I guess nothing much will happen in the near future and I doubt any council in the UK will have the same good times in the late 60’s when the Lanky Hall and the Pembroke Hall in Walkden were built.
My thanks go to the author of this article which I have found very interesting and informative if saddened by the state of the building although I was surprised that the Stage Hoist boots appear to be still intact at that date the photos were taken.
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Can anyone remember Peter Kay appearing at The Lancastrian Hall years ago?
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