Blackburn Walk

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Arriving at the Railway Station

The station was covered by twin train sheds, an architecturally detailed canopy that covered all platforms. In 2000, due to its decaying state, it was removed, changing the nature of the station in a £35 million regeneration project. A new building was built on the main island platform. The Grade II listed original entrance built in the 1880s,including the station buffet and former booking hall, was retained and refurbished.

Wikipedia

Facing the station the 2015 development of hotel and office space.

Arriving by train into Blackburn Rail Station, visitors get the full impact of this carefully planned but ambitious regeneration project. Maple Grove’s aspiration was to offer something befitting of a city centre in one of the region’s largest towns.  Cathedral Square comprises a six storey BREEAM Excellent office building, designed by BDP, a Premier Inn Hotel, restaurants and cafes positioned around a new public square that acts as a link between the rail station, cathedral and beyond to the shopping centre.

Left onto Jubilee Street where we find the Telephone Exchange.

The site was formerly occupied by the Grand Theatre – in the 1950’s, Blackburn had no fewer than fourteen cinemas.  The Grand carried on being a live venue until its closure in 1956, before finally being demolished in 1958.

Blackburn Past

Further down the road the rear of another former cinema – The Olympia

The Olympia was opened on 19th May 1909 as a roller skating rink. It was a short lived venture and closed in November 1911. It was converted into the Olympia Theatre, presenting music hall/variety, opening on 12th December 1911. Seating was provided for 2,000, many on long wooden benches. The proscenium was 32 feet wide and the stage 50 feet deep. It was soon screening films as part of the programme.

It was converted into a full time cinema in 1921, although there were still some variety acts on the programme. All the original wooden benches used for seating in the theatre were removed and replaced by regular tip-up seats, reducing the seating capacity to 1,360. During the 1940’s, the Olympia Cinema boasted a café for the convenience of its patrons and it was operated by Jacksons’ Amusements, Ltd.

The Olympia Cinema was mainly independently operated, and closed in 1957. It stood empty for two years, then in 1959, it was taken over by Mecca Ltd, and converted into the Locarno Ballroom, later becoming a Mecca Bingo Club. It later became the Golden Palms Nightclub, Jumpin’ Jax, and since 2009 it operated as a trendy nightclub named Liquid & Envy.

Cinema Treasures

By July 2018 it was known as Switch.

Across the way The Central Hall.

Previous to 1900 the site at the corner of Mincing Lane and Mill Lane had housed a temporary circus, known as Ohmy’s Circus. The New Central Hall was built and opened in April 1900, and was used as a roller skating rink until November 1909, when it was converted into the 1,000-seat Central Hall Cinema.

Altered and enlarged to 1,372 seats in 1923, it was re-named New Central Hall Cinema. The proscenium was 20 feet wide, later enlarged to 22 feet.

The Central Cinema was closed in January 1957. Then in 1974, it was renovated and was converted into a Walkers Bingo Club, which remained open until at least 1995. It recently operated as a Riley’s American Pool and Snooker Club until early 2009. In November 2009 after a refurbishment, it re-opened as the VIP Snooker Club.

Cinema Treasures

Turn right into Darwen Street along to the former Barclays Bank.

Next door Lloyd’s Bank extension.

On Astley Gate the brown tiled remains of the Shopping Centre now known as The Mall.

The shopping centre was built in three phases, with the final phase opening in 1979. The centre was refurbished in 1995, during which the lower floor of the former Co-Operative Department Store was transformed into the Ainsworth Mall.

The centre was bought by Standard Life in 1993 and its name was subsequently changed to Blackburn Shopping Centre. Standard Life sold the centre in 2003 to Reit Asset Management.

In 2004, Reit Asset Management sold the centre to The Mall Fund. The centre was sold again in 2022 to the Adhan Group from The Mall Fund for £40 million.

Wikipedia

Around the corner the Mother and Child monument, created by Welsh sculptor Robert Thomas in 1974, who used his wife and child as models.

In 1974 the statue was placed in Lord Square, removed in 2007 and placed in storage, it was placed in Cardwell Place in 2012.

The Mall has been significantly remodelled, along with the adjacent Tower Block.

Above the Mall is a dizzying array of multi storey car parks – reflecting the various stages of development.

Next to the Central Library, the former Co-op Emporium by Walter Stirrup in Town Hall Street, opened in 1930, was converted into a £1m library by BDP, it opened on September 1st 1975.

Onward to 10 Duke Street – home to council offices and the NHS, the Tower Block is now no longer in use.

Blackburn’s former town hall tower block has over the years become one of our most recognisable buildings.  Sadly it is now starting to be given derogatory names, such as the ‘Big Empty’ and ‘Mothballed Monolith’.  But compared to how it looked some years ago, before being reclad in today’s design, it still impresses many visitors to our town.  Wouldn’t it be great if Blackburn’s ‘Big Empty’ could become full again.

Roving Mick

These tower blocks were the flats at Queens Park and in the background you can see the co-called ‘deck-access’ flats at Shadsworth.

Bowland House was one of three tower blocks built in 1963 and the only one still standing after the others, Ribble and Pendle, were torn down in 2001 to be replaced by homes.

In 2022 Bowland House was refurbished.

Former four-time World Superbike champion Carl Fogarty was the guest of honour as Great Places’ Bowland House in Blackburn was officially unveiled.

Lancs Live

On the approach to Birley Street we walk through a mixed development of low rise housing, set in grassed and pedestrianised areas.

Birley Street Tower Blocks

Three thirteen-storey slab blocks built as public housing using the Sectra industrialised building system. The blocks contain 183 dwellings in total, consisting of 72 one-bedroom flats and 111 two-bedroom flats. The blocks are of storiform construction clad with precast concrete panels. The panels are faced with exposed white Cornish aggregate. Spandrel panels set with black Shap granite aggregate are used under the gable kitchen windows. The blocks were designed by the Borough architect in association with Sydney Greenwood. Construction was approved by committee in 1966.

Pastscape

1987 view of Birley Street development, with Trinity Court in the foreground: Tower Block

Back now into the centre – passing the now empty site of Thwaites Brewery, demolished in 2019.

Also missing in action is the 1960’s Market Hall – architect Tom Brennan.

The new Bus Station designed by Capita Symonds – replacing the old bus station.

The outward facing elements of the building are flat and orthogonal. In contrast, the underside of the canopy is free flowing and consists of a number of glazed slots cut in the canopy to allow daylight to penetrate onto the concourse area. Directly below each of the slots is a hanging loop which appears to be pulled down from the canopy to reveal a glazed opening. The composition of these draws inspiration from the cotton weaving looms, and drying cotton bundles, a reference to the town’s industrial past.

There are four loop types (A, B, C & D) which are arranged to alter the scale of the concourse and create a rhythm of peaks and troughs along its length. Loop A is designed to provide support to the whole canopy allowing the canopy to appear as one floating unified element.

Archello

Tucked away this mosaic panorama of the town.

Newspaper House – once the home to the Lancashire Telegraph, converted to apartments in 2017.

Finally to the Garde II* listed Blackburn Cathedral church – since 1926, formerly parish church, 1820-6 by John Palmer of Manchester.

Central concrete corona by Lawrence King 1961 – it was rebuilt in stone by Brian Lowe in 1998.

The Healing of Nations in steel and copper by Mark Jalland 2001.

It is a reflection on the opening of chapter 22 of the book of Revelation, new Jerusalem, and ‘the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations’.

Traditionally a stained-glass window at the east end of a cathedral would reflect a spectrum of light into the building but this sculpture projects the light out in a kaleidoscope of colour reminding us of Jesus the light of the world and the hope that we have in him. 

Annunciation and Christ in Majesty sculptures by Siegfried Pietsch 1965.

Crown of Thorns by John Hayward.

Lantern stained glass 1999 by Linda Hadfield, formerly Walton.

Further work by John Hayward.

Josefina de Vasconcellos

Haley Hill Flats Halifax – Again

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Here we are again making our way beneath Burdock Way and up to Haley Hill, the New Bank Development – aka Range Lane.

Built in 1964 – Architects Leonard Vincent and Ray Gorbing.

Tower Block 1987.

Subsequently overclad

Sadly the Beech Hill Flats in the centre of Halifax have been demolished.

Rhodar

It was a slightly overcast day, flattish light on the flats, so the photographs became monochrome.

Swan Hotel – Birkenhead

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Dock Road Seacombe CH41 1DG

Opened in 1878 as a West Cheshire Brewery pub, a Whitbread pub in the 1980s.

At one time named the Royal Swan, in the later years its name was changed to the Blazing Stump and before closure became a night club known as Bonkers.

A lost venue once loved for being the “wackiest fun pub” in the 1980s.

Date of closure unknown but thought to be late 1980s or early 1990s.

On the Dock Road was the ‘Swan Hotel which also opened in 1878. The nickname of the Swan Hotel was ‘The Blazing Stump’ and the story goes that an old seadog with a wooden leg used it to poke the fire. In those days pitch was used as a wood preservative, which is probably why his wooden leg caught fire when poking the fire one time too many – hence ‘The Blazing Stump.’

Due to its location near the Wallasey Docks majority of the customers who visited the pub came off the grain or ore boats. The pub would be thronged with Norwegians, Greeks, Germans, Swedes and Arabs and local people. When the pub was full the place had an unusual and interesting flavour because of this rare variety of people.

The ‘Stump’s’ days were numbered when less and less ships visited the Wallasey docks. The building still stands but remains unused, with the owner looking for a big payout sale. Or who knows, the doors may just open once more.

Wallasey Days Gone By

According to The Move Market, it last sold for £400,000 in 2022 – since then, its value has dropped by £37,000.

The talk of the town is now conversion to a go to destination.

Now construction company AP Mitchell and Evoke Architecture have submitted plans to Wirral Council to completely turn the site around.

The plans include outdoor seating areas with benches, an outdoor event space, food and drinks vendors, and a large bar. A private function space will sit inside the new building which will be called the Dock Road Food Hall.

Birkenhead News

The design works carefully to balance modern design with reminiscent character features, sympathetic to the original building and surrounding historic buildings of similar style. The result is a contemporary structure that aligns with the evolving character of Dock Road and the Wirral Waters masterplan.

Place North West

The character of the area is changes with the construction of modern housing and warehouse conversion – such as Redbridge Quay.

This is how the site looks, as of March 7th 2025.

Walking – Talking

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I began walking when quite young, then like Felix, I kept on walking, walking still.

The photograph was taking during the Whit Walks in 1958 – aged three, I was engaged in religious pilgrimage, as we know there are many reasons for walking, this is but one.

I was fortunate to grow up at a time when youngsters were permitted to roam freely, less traffic, less anxiety, gave me access to a wider axis of exploration.

The photograph would have been taken I assume, by my mam, on the Brownie 127. When aged nine I wandered alone through the local woods and exposed twelve frames of 44mm 127 film, the prints are long gone, yet I remember each of the photographs and locations clearly.

I went to school, then I didn’t, then I went to Art School, eventually becoming a teenage Constructivist, tutored by Jeffrey Steele, a leading light in the British Systems movement.

The rigidity of the grid, symmetry and orthogonal framing have stayed with me.

Then I went to work for a very long time indeed, then all of a sudden I didn’t. Taking early retirement aged 59 some ten years ago, subsequently taking to the roads, streets and hills of Britain in search of nothing in particular.

In recent years there has been a rapid development in the culture of walking, theories, films, guides, songs and literature. I am fully cognisant of such, yet believe at heart that walking can be free of such baggage, we can stride unhindered, atavistic and carefree/less.

Walk tall, walk straight and look the world right in the eye.

Getting lost is about the unfamiliar appearing.

In my own small way, I have become part of that baggage, having been asked to lead a walk around Stockport by the the modernist neé Manchester Modernist Society.

The photograph depicts Alan Boyson’s concrete screen wall, attached to the former Cooperative super store designed by Philip Andrew. The two worked to gather on the Hull Cooperative store, which is adorned by Alan’s huge Three Ships mosaic.

Philip was a childhood friend of Alan Boyson and it was Alan’s father, manager of the Marple Co-operative Society, that recommended Philip for an apprenticeship job in 1951 to the chief architect at the CWS in Manchester HQ.

Ships in the Sky

In preparation for the tour, I visited the town’s Local Heritage Library and read extensively from serendipitous charity shop finds.

The two hour route was designed around an economy of distance and elevation, allowing time for others to take in, what may be for them unfamiliar surroundings. A group of around twenty or so folk became sociable and engaged, with a suitably concise and apposite contribution from myself. There are those who busied themselves taking snaps along the way, chatting amiably or simply gazing in amazement.

The service building above the former Debenham’s store.

Beneath the spiral ramp which leads to the Red Rock car park.

The architects for the scheme were BDP – the building was not well received as it was awarded the Carbuncle of the Year 2018.

Stockport’s Town Hall extension Stopford House.

Famed as an imaginary TV police station, this civic building is a civic building I simply can’t resist. I return on a regular basis to wander and snap. This is an open public space that seems little loved and has few visitors.

From then onwards I have been taking folks on Modernist Mooches on a regular basis, two or so a month, during the less inclement times of year.

At about the same time I was asked to exhibit my photographs in Stockport, I chose to mooch about at night. Walking around an almost deserted town, avoiding the glare of streetlights, there is a mild frisson to be about when nobody else is about. The air feels different, exposures are longer, the almost waking world feels arrested, by the low available light.

Merseyway Shopping Centre designed by Bernard Engle and Partners, opened in 1965.

My local shopping centre and as such part of my weekly walking and shopping life.

NCP Car Park located on Stockport Station approach.

Regent House

Asda superstore

I found a copy of Charlie Meecham’s book Oldham Road in a charity shop.

Inspiring me in 2014, to walk in mostly straight lines, though often as not zig zagging along the main arterial roads of Manchester.

Taking pictures on Sunday mornings, in order to avoid traffic, mildly amused to be ignoring the primary function of the routes.

This is one of the more familiar roads, having walked up and down several times over several years. It was to have been an extension of the Mancunian Way, forming a trans-pennine motorway. Much of the property lining the route was cleared in preparation, it was never built, and for years a strange semi-deserted ambience hung over the A57.

Bus Depot

Railway Bridge

The car showrooms which later became an African Evangalist church.

Having cleared away both Victorian and Sixties housing, new architectural forms arose in West Gorton.

Where there were once dozens of pubs, often there are now none.

The Belle Vue Granada Bowl became a Bingo Hall then became nothing.

The 192 bus runs between Manchester Piccadilly and hazel Grove, I often ride between Stockport and town, and back.

I decided to walk the route, photographing each of the ninety eight bus stops along the way.

Piccadilly Station

UMIST Retaining Wall

Ardwick Post Office

Levenshulme

A book published by the modernist – literally eight launderettes.

Which became the first modernist calendar.

Now, everywhere I go, I see launderettes – so arriving in Hanley with time on my hands, wandering around I found this exemplary example.

Having a blog entitled Manchester Estate Pubs, the national media became interested in my photographs. I had spent quite some time, wandering around in search of this endangered architectural typology.

This was Billy Greens in Collyhurst, named for a local boxer, now demolished.

Which in turn became the second modernist calendar.

Followed the following year by fish and chip shops.

So building a vocabulary for my mooching, discovering yet another chippy, laundry, pub, Burton’s, telephone exchange, glazed stairway or underpass.

These things find you, yearning for some small amount of attention and affection.

The Trawl – my favourite peg board menu, my favourite Bridlington chippy.

We are now coming to the end of the car park year – seen here on the wall of my command centre.

The calendar was an adjunct to a walk – Twelve Car Parks.

Here we all are at Circle Square – Fielden Clegg Bradley were concept architects while Leach Rhodes Walker were delivery architects.

In September we walked around Newcastle for a weekend away – taking in Eldon Square, ably guided by local modernist Euan Lynn.

Ending our tour at Manors Car Park.

Following an urban river – the River Irk, an excellent way to devise a linear walk.

The river enclosed in blue engineers brick as it passes under the railway.

A long neglected are is now the scene of mass regeneration – rebranded Victoria North.

The former Traveller’s homes are now rubble.

Rushing miles ahead to Blackley the home of Richard Siefert’s ICI Tower.

And around the corner, these delightful reliefs attached to the Tower Blocks.

I was asked to assist in putting together an exhibition for Collyhurst Voices – walking through the memories of a community under threat.

Walking in the footsteps of Dennis Hussey’s Collyhurst Cowboy – looking toward Dalton Street

Then uphill to Eastford Square and the long lost homes.

Home to William Mitchell’s Totem, the homes long gone and the Council pledged to move the totem too.

The state of play this week, the detritus removed and the base filled in, repaved and safe for a while.

Off now to the Weaver Valley another day another river, passing under Weaver Viaduct

The looking toward Koura Global – leader in the development, manufacture, and supply of fluoro products and technologies, opened a new HFA 152a production facility at their Runcorn site in the UK.

Further rural Modernism as we pass under and traverse the M62, whilst walking around the Piethorn Valley

Then recently visiting several Yorkshire Reservoirs – here we are at Scammonden.

The newest of the Modernist Mooches was to Burnley where we visited the Keirby Hotel.

The former GUS Offices with a mural by Diane and William Morris.

Plus the Charles Anderson concrete relief at the Crow Wood Hotel.

Finally a little light relief – a visit to the Boots factory in Nottingham.

Having innocently board a bus outside the station with a Boots head code , I alighted within the factory gates. Then innocently walking around taking snaps, unheeded until the men in the van stopped me in my tracks.

Who are you, what are you doing?

I am the Modern Moocher going about my business – well it turns out this was not permitted and I was red carded by the earnest security guards and asked to leave forthwith. Suitably rebuked, I politely bade them farewell and headed for the gates.

Arterial Manchester 2024 – A56

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Having photographed the arterial roads of Manchester in 2014, I have resolved to return to the task in 2024.

Some things seem to have changed, some things seem to have stayed the same.

St Thomas Estate – Radcliffe

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By Wilson and Womersley 1968, the project architect was John Sheard.

New-towny, dense low-rise housing irregularly grouped around and over pedestrian access paths.

Pevsner 1996/2004

The 2003 masterplan recommence its removal.

The masterplan states that Radcliffe has many unattractive buildings and few architectural assets. But this could work to its advantage as a lack of protected or noteworthy buildings makes it easier to replace them with contemporary structures.

This could include demolishing the “unwelcoming” St Thomas Estate and replacing it with a mix of private and social housing on the old street layout. Existing tenants would be rehoused in the new houses so that the community would not be broken up.

Lancashire Telegraph

JL Womersely famously Sheffield City Architect:

During his term, Sheffield’s housing grew upwards with multi-storey flats constructed at Low Edges, Park Hill, Hyde Park, Netherthorpe and Woodside. It was Womersley’s response to 13,000 families on the council’s waiting list and 10,000 condemned properties waiting to be demolished.

Sheffielder

Wilson and Womersley were responsible for the Hulme Crescents and Manchester Arndale.

In the space of a decade they shaped Manchester’s urban fabric, leaving a questionable legacy. The technical quality of their buildings was undoubtedly poor, but their qualities – bold forms, monolithic materiality and streets-in-the-sky – were of the moment, and captured a particular brand of urban renewal, imported from North America and inflected through British post-war planning.

Richard Brook

Social housing has been, and continues to be, a contentious arena. This seemingly well-constructed estate was once deemed unfit for habitation by its residents.

Tenants of the St Thomas’ Estate in the town centre allege they have been forgotten by Six Town Housing, which manages the properties.

Magda Csatlos, former chairman of the now disbanded Tenants and Residents Association said rotten bricks with visible gaps between them, badly-designed leaking roofs and damp and mouldy conditions plague many of the 90 homes.

Bury Times 2014

Happily the Local Authority are able to remedy the problem.

After some residents on the estate, who were visited by Bury South MP Ivan Lewis, called for the properties to be “condemned”, the Council agreed to invest £2 million to bring the homes up to standard.

A total of 90 social housing properties on St Thomas Estate have been provided with new external rendering, roofing, windows, doors, insulation and brick cladding.

Bury Times 2016

On the day of my visit the long term tenants with whom I spoke were happily, happy with their homes.

Facebook

Here are some photographs, taken under the watchful golden eye of a low winter sun, hence the dramatic light and shade.

UMIST 2024 – Manchester

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This may be the last time, may be the last time, I don’t know.

I’ve been taking a look around for several years now, but now the writing is now on the wall.

Anthony Holloway’s wall – the only listed structure on the site.

The site is sold, the contractors have arrived, stripping out the buildings earmarked for demolition.

The site is to be contracted – despite all efforts to have its integrity preserved.

The Pariser Building is to be retained.

Along with the Renold Building – which is already home to start up tech businesses.

The city council has approved Bruntwood SciTech’s change of use bid to transform the 110,000 sq ft Renold building into a tech and science hub.

In a joint venture with the University of Manchester, Bruntwood will create 42,000 sq ft coworking and business incubator spaces for businesses in the sector at the Altrincham Street building.

Place Northwest

Sister is Manchester’s new innovation district. A £1.7bn investment into the city, its setting – the former University of Manchester North Campus and UMIST site – is steeped in science and engineering history. Home to the UK’s most exciting new ideas and disruptive technologies, Sister is a worldclass innovation platform in the heart of one of the most exciting global cities. It stands as the city’s symbol of a new era of discovery that promises progress against humanity’s greatest challenges.

Sister Manchester

So it is with a bitter sweet feeling that I took a group of Modernist Moochers around the site this Saturday – a number of whom had been students there.

As a former UMIST student 1990-1997, I had a wander round the old site recently, sad to see it so empty and run-down.

So let’s take a look at the current state of affairs.


Blackpool 2024

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Blackpool Council says it remains committed to the Blackpool Central project amid the potential collapse of the developer leading the works.

But warning alarms sounded this week when Nikal – which was hired to oversee the project – filed a notice of intent to appoint administrators.

The £300m Blackpool Central development is billed as the biggest single investment in the town in more than a century and is planned to involve a “world-class leisure development” which would create 1,000 new jobs, bring an extra 600,000 visitors per year, and boost annual spend in the town by around £75m.

A spokesperson for Blackpool Council told the Blackpool Lead:

We have been working on the enabling phase of Blackpool Central over the last few years. The new multi-storey car park opened earlier this summer and we are currently completing preparations to demolish the old police station and courts building early in the New Year.

Blackpool Lead

The proposals for the Bonny Street area can be seen here.

Plans for the area have hit further problems.

A new £40m magistrates courthouse is facing building delays after the project’s main contractor collapsed. Blackpool’s magistrates court was one of twenty two projects belonging to construction giant ISG, which was working on the scheme for the Ministry of Justice.

But the firm went into administration in September, leaving two thousand two hundred workers at risk of redundancy, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Work was due to start early next year with a completion date expected in 2026.

BBC News

The town needs all the help it can get, time has not been too kind, whilst efforts have been made to invigorate the area around Blackpool North and the promenade, the back streets reflect the legacy of years of deprivation.

Blackpool ranks as one of the most deprived areas in the UK. Many people were already in poverty, and the cost of living pressures are having the biggest impact on this group, who need to spend a greater proportion of their incomes on household essentials. It is also affecting people on low and middle incomes, often surviving by having several jobs, who are being pushed into poverty. More people are turning to services for support, and as the winter progresses this is a serious concern.

Local Gov

Here is the statistical evidence as of 2021.

I have no wish to poor scorn on the area – but a short walk around the streets approximate to the coast tells a tale of failed businesses, decay and decline.

Happily there are the seeds of recovery in evidence, in the form of newly built housing.

The executive report outlines an area of regeneration to the South of the town centre. It lies broadly between Chapel Street and Rigby Road, and the Promenade and Central Drive. These have been identified as the initial areas of focus for detailed scheme development, community engagement and property acquisitions in preparation for future development.

Live Blackpool

We all deserve better.

Bonny Street Police Station – Blackpool 2024

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The concrete and the clay beneath my feet
Begins to crumble
But love will never die

Doomed to face the demolition crew – the anti-social intrusions and falling masonry have enforced a fence, an impenetrable fence.

My requests for unforced entry were politely rebuffed by the hi-vis vest security guards.

A former police station could finally be demolished this autumn after closing six years ago when officers moved to new headquarters.

Blackpool Magistrates’ Court, which is part of the same complex, will also be bulldozed after crumbling concrete was discovered in the building in January. 

In recent months, the empty Bonny Street police station has become a target for anti-social behaviour.

Clearance of the site will pave the way for investment in leisure facilities including hotels and indoor theme parks by developer Nikal.

BBC

So this is the last time around the concrete block for me – memories are made of this, my previous visit in 2022.

Yet the future still seems slightly uncertain.

It is unclear at this stage how the vision for the development has changed in the three-plus years since the outline plans were approved.

Place North West

For those of you watching in colour – this is in black and white.

May be the last time, I don’t know
May be the last time, I don’t know
Lord, I don’t know

Charles Anderson Frieze – Burnley

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Holme Rd Burnley BB12 0RT

Photo – Robert Wade

William Thompson was born at Richmond Yorkshire, the son of John and Catherine Thompson. William came to Burnley in 1908 and gained a place at Burnley Grammar school. Later he learned the trade of cotton weaving at his uncle’s shed. In time he was to become the managing director of this firm. William lived at Oak Bank Todmorden road, where in spite of his great wealth, he led a remarkably simple life. He had neither television nor radio, and his greatest pleasure appeared to be strolling in the nearby Towneley Park. About 1970, ill health forced William to move to his sister’s house at Ingleton Yorkshire. His illness became worse, and he was removed to a nursing home at Silverdale, near Lancaster, where after a prolonged infirmity he died on 18, August 1972. It was William and his sister, Sarah Witham who donated the £333,000 that was eventually used to build the Thompson Recreation Centre. William was never to see the gift he bestowed upon the town, for his death came just a few days before the official opening of the centre. It was his sister, Sarah who performed the opening, and she too was to die a short time afterwards on 8, December 1975. She was the last link in the Thompson family of Burnley.

Many thanks to local historian and author Jack Nadin

The Thompson Recreation Centre was decorated by a large concrete frieze by Scottish artist Charles Anderson.

Town Architects 1975

Formed from precast concrete panels against expanded polystyrene moulds – it stands 150ft long and 9ft high.

It was gifted from funds provided by the estate of local Cotton Manufacturer and major town benefactor, William Thompson. The building was a flagship symbol of progress for Burnley in 1973, it was demolished in 2006.

Fortunately, the frieze was carefully dismantled, stored and reinstated by Andrew Brown.

Mr Brown said:

This frieze has a massive place in our community. It gives me enormous pleasure to give this magnificent artwork a new home. It breathes new life into the legacy of William Thompson who did so much for Burnley.

It is now located at the Crow Wood Hotel & Spa Resort. walked from the to

Charles Anderson designed the sculpture over months at his studio in Paisley said:

I was a young man of 34 when I was approached by Burnley Council to design a frieze for the centre.

It’s one of my proudest pieces of work and definitely one of the most challenging. I was inspired by the sculptures of the Parthenon so perhaps this is Burnley’s own Elgin Marbles. It features the Three Graces from Greek mythology as well as sporting scenes such as wrestling, weightlifting, fencing, archery, football, tennis and cricket.

I walked from the town centre along Princess way in search of the work – it’s at the rear of the site, just turn right before you reach the hotel.

Shirehall Shrewsbury – Interiors

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Abbey Foregate Shrewsbury SY2 6LY

Architect Ralph Vernon Crowe 1966

Having photographed the exterior of Shirehall – I am now sharing some images of the buildings remarkable interior.

These have images have been kindly provided by the Shrewsbury Civic Society – many thanks.

They have campaigned tirelessly to save the building which is under threat, the local authority wishing to demolish the site.

There has long been a split in Shropshire Council between councillors who want to keep Shirehall and this that want to demolish it and move to the town centre. Last December, the council agreed to dispose of the building in the next few years after work on Civic Hub in the town centre is completed. That Civic Hub is still in the ideas stage and there is no clear idea of where the money will come fund it. Unless the council sells the 3.5 hectare Shirehall site for housing boosting its capital reserves which were depleted by the £51m purchase of the shopping centres in Shrewsbury town centre.

The budget plans agreed two weeks ago days propose that Shirehall is sold before April 2025 to make a saving of £325,000 in 2024/25.

Andybodders

Here are the Civic Society photographs of the Courts, which are no longer in use.

These are archival images taken from RIBApix taken by Bill Toomey in 1967.

Shrewsbury Walk

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On leaving the front of the railway station – we see the former Granada Cinema.

Architects: Cecil Aubrey Masey

Built and operated by Shrewsbury Empires Ltd, the Granada Theatre opened on 14th November 1934 with Jack Hulbert in The Camels Are Coming.

It closed as a cinema on 31st March 1973 with Charles Bronson in The Valachi Papers and Anatomy of a Pin-Up.

The Granada circuit was famous for its lavishly decorated interiors created by a Russian émigré called Theodore Komisarjevsky, the most famous examples of which are at Woolwich and Tooting – both now operate as bingo halls. The Shrewsbury Granada was by far the best cinema in the area, and in addition to Komisjarevsky, the scheme was designed by Cecil Massey, with some work being carried out by a local architect called Arthur Williams. The architecture of the Shrewsbury hall is often referred to as being a “standard” Granada, and the interior was very similar to the Granadas at Bedford now demolished and Maidstone which wasdestroyed by sub-division. There were less than 20 theatres built for the circuit, of which Shrewsbury was number five, although many existing cinemas were taken over and renamed, making the Granada Theatres an important group, although in numbers they were far behind Odeon and ABC.

Ian Grundy

On 17th November 1995, the Granada Theatre was designated a Grade II Listed building by English Heritage.

Many thanks to the staff of Buzz Bingo for allowing us access.

Next up is a Marks & Spencers store very much a shop of two halves – marrying post-war Brutalism with interwar Classicism, unified by a glazed ground floor.

Across the way, a 60s corner site development, with a dual-entry Greggs.

Formerly the site of the Post Office – demolished in 1959, and next to the Barclays bank the long gone Crown Hotel.

On the adjacent corner a curvaceous Barclays Bank, built in the post war Ministry of Works manner.

Next door is Crown House – refurbished but with it’s architectural type intact.

One of Marshall Structures’ biggest projects to date was the conversion of Crown House from a tired office block to a complex featuring 14 luxury apartments, providing a much-needed improvement to the site. The work involved in this project included large amounts of steel work and timber design.

The biggest challenge faced during the completion of this project was trying to fit an additional storey without loading quite an old existing structure. To do this, the new storey was designed out of a lightweight timber frame. By doing this, the client’s brief could be met while also ensuring that the existing 1950s building wasn’t overloaded in the process.

Marshall Structures

Directly across the road, this retail and office development.

Next up some tricky brickwork on the Wyle Cop Car Park.

Formerly Kennings latterly Signpost Motors Fiat dealer.

Very badly run carpark, one machine broken, other not taking cards or cash.

Great place with a lot of parking space.

Onwards onwards across the river toward Shirehall.

Architect: Ralph Vernon Crowe – 1966

Ribapix 1967

The foundation stone for the new building was laid by Sir Offley Wakeman, a former chairman of the county council, on 25 July 1964. It was designed by Ralph Crowe, the County Architect, in the Modernist style, built at a cost of £1.8 million and was completed in April 1966.

Pevsner described the building as – the major monument to post-war modernism in the county.

The Shrewsbury Civic Society is fighting hard to prevent the demolition.

There are archive photographs of the interior here.

Back into town to take a look at the Telephone Exchange.

Next to the Market Hall.

The Market Hall, which includes the town’s 240ft clock tower, an indoor market and a ground-floor shopping centre, was hailed the most modern building in Shropshire when it opened in September 1965.

Developed by the Second Covent Garden Property Company Ltd to replace an ailing Victorian market hall, it cost £1 million to build and was designed by award-winning architect David du Roi Aberdeen who also famously designed the Trade Union Congress headquarters, Congress House, in London, and the Swiss Centre in Leicester Square. 

Today the Market Hall’s 1960’s architecture might not be to everyone’s taste, but its indoor market is thriving with over 70 small businesses ranging from popular contemporary cafes and gift retailers to artisan producers and traditional market stalls selling fresh produce.

Shropshire Live

More of the Market Hall here.

Bobbing toward the centre – a striking Lloyds Bank.

A conscious effort to reflect the nearby Tudor architecture of Ireland’s Mansion and Pride Hill. Lloyds Bank is considered a good example of Brutalist architecture, and proof that bold modern buildings can be successfully slotted into traditional historic streets.

Original Shrewsbury

Possibly Shrewsbury’s finest post-war building, but of course it has its detractors. It was well received by critics of the period including the assessors for the Civic Trust who bestowed an award in 1968. They noted the quandary that the architects faced of building in such a historic setting and terminating the vista along one of the town centre’s main streets. In their opinion the architects ‘faced the problem squarely and their building, brave in its conception and immaculate in its detail’ and that it was ‘uncompromisingly of today but beautifully sympathetic to the great buildings it rests with’. Pevsner’s original assessment of it being the ‘boldest modern response to the town’s half-timbering’ was not shared by the authors who revised the Shropshire edition and viewed it as an ‘aggressive display of exposed and textured concrete’.

It was also shortlisted for the European Cement Association awards, one of only two British buildings to make the grade. Opting to draw on the Tudor traditions of the town, partner W Marsden, working with project architect W Allan Clark and assistants Malcolm Lovibond and Keith Maplestone, used cantilevered floors, vertical structural and sub-structural members, oriel windows and a black and white tonal palette deploying anodized aluminium window frames against finely ribbed concrete panels. The standing seam zinc roof adopted the town’s norm of pitched roofs without gables in order to blend with the street scene. Concrete Quarterly referred to it as ‘a skilful bridging of the centuries in a way that would not offend a purist’ . The main contractor was Henry Willcock and Company Limited.

Mainstream Modern

Nearby more modern infill sits alongside the historic half timbered heritage.

Next down Raven Meadows to the Raven Meadows Car Park, built by Truscon Ltd in 1969.

Which also houses the Bus Station.

Back now toward the station under the railway to the Royal Mail.

Doncaster Modernism – Revisited Again.

Posted on by modernmoocher

The third time by the banks of the Don – first time around in May 2019, subsequently in October 2020.

So much can change in so short a time, post-pandemic and every town is doing its level best to build back better.

The vision includes:

  • Ensuring the centre is a focus for business and enterprise.
  • Building on the success of the current markets and raising the aspirations and functions of the markets.
  • Recognising the city core as the heart of the economy and the borough and the place where the image of Doncaster is most clearly reflected. 
  • Enhancing green spaces and waterways to create a better setting for visitors, investments and city heritage.
  • Developing the civic and cultural quarter and reinforcing the retail and leisure core through better links and public space improvements.
  • Developing city-scale functions and assets, to become a stronger draw for business, workers, visitors and inward investment.
  • Developing and bidding for new city-wide cultural venues, a University and Research and Development facilities.
  • Rebranding Doncaster as a location of choice for regional businesses.

Masterplan

Arriving by train and ascending into the light – here’s the station lights.

The railway station has sharpened up its apron and facade.

We have transformed the station forecourt. It has become a quality gateway which delivers a great first impression for visitors arriving in Doncaster by train. This will help stimulate interest from investors and developers, helping to attract new investment and create jobs for the borough and wider region.

Doncaster.gov

Celebrating engineering, speed and connectivity and stretching forty metres in length the public art at Doncaster Station consists of forty seven monoliths which are a nod to Doncaster’s past, present and future. With a fountain and three impressive water walls, the art takes centre stage in the new public space as you step out of the train station and head into the town centre.

The concept was devised by Doncaster Council and further developed by Chris Brammall.

CB Arts manufactured and installed the piece

Typically the high and low streets of Britain’s industrial towns and cities, are an amalgam of architectural style and fashion, spanning at least two or three centuries.

Faience fronted interwar developments abound.

Neo-classical speculative shopping arcades.

Revamped Victorian pub facades.

Behind the buff faience frontage is a lovely, small two-room pub with a well preserved interior created under plans of 1934. It was remodelled by the Grimsby brewers Hewitt Brothers Ltd who were Doncaster’s biggest pub owners for many years.

Pub Heritage

Originally a Gent’s Outfitters, this deco-gem was topped off with the Nags Head Hotel.

This grade II listed pub is now in retail use, though Vision Value, are it seems, on the move.

Lost pubs project.

Of course, every town had a Burton’s – the tailor of taste.

This post war infill has that distinctive Festival of Britain feel, original metal window frames, Portland stone and blueish slate like panels.

The revamped Frenchgate Shopping Centre, officially opened on October 4th 1968, has in places an upper tier, resistant to zinc over cladding.

The centre has been the heart of the city for over 40 years and was originally called the Arndale Centre because it was built, owned and managed by the Arndale Group. It was renamed in 1988 after a change of ownership, with the new name reflecting the name of the street which passes to the east of the centre and which is one of Doncaster’s main shopping streets.

The sale of the centre came just a year after Frenchgate had undergone a £200 million facelift to transform it into the country’s first shopping centre with integrated public transport and retail interchange.

Wikipedia

There are plans to rework the shopping centre.

We propose this is fundamentally transformed though the addition of apartments that wrap along the back of the first-floor retail with a further 2.5 new storeys placed on top. We also feel additional height -up to seven or eight storeys, is justifiable to the corner of Frenchgate and Trafford Way.

TODD Architects

The Lovers were once located in the Arndale, removed to a local garden, unloved – then later reinstated in the Waterdale Centre, where we will embrace them a little later.

Turn right to take in the 1920s mosaic remake remodel of the Grade II listed Blue Building.

The Blue Building which used to be the Doncaster Design Centre and Tourist Information Centre was originally the home of John Whitaker, a wine merchant, and son of James Whitaker who was Mayor of Doncaster in 1758.

In 1925 the complete building was demolished apart from the facade which was retained and given a facing of decorative blue tiles. The intention was to build a shopping arcade from High Street to Printing Office Street. Only part of the arcade, known as the  Westminster Arcade was built. It had a number of shops, the largest being that of Woodhouse & Co Furnishers.

Doncaster Heritage Trail

Two adjacent 60s extensions – to the right a redundant post office to the left an almost redundant telephone exchange, with the earlier brick built exchange in smack dab the middle.

Turn another corner and it’s all at the Co-op now – the Grade II listed Danum Co-operativeBuilding, department store and offices: 1938-40 designed by T H Johnson & Son for the Doncaster Co-operative Society Ltd. 

Over the road a zig-zag Halifax Building Society branch, tightly contorted by its corner footprint.

To the right of the Danum, this former Boyes store, having relocated to the Wilko site, the building is ripe for residential conversion.

To the left the Colonnades Shopping Centre a fierce angular glass and brick bunker of mixed office and retail space – the sole occupant seeming to be Home Bargains.

A £3.3m makeover of the Colonnades shopping mall in Doncaster town centre was completed in 2019.

The scheme of works was co-ordinated by Doncaster Council and funded by the Sheffield City Region Local Growth Fund.

Built in the 1980s, the brick built building received a major overhaul. The investment saw the visual appearance enhanced inside and out. The five floors were transformed into the prime office space needed in the town centre and the enhancements to the retail area were also finished.

The shift in the town’s axis to the Frenchgate and Market areas, seems to have taken the wind out of its sails.

The former flicks now a redundant pale brick behemoth – no more and ABC.

Architects: C Jack Foster and Alan Morgan

Doncaster’s new £250,000 ABC cinema, part of the Golden Acres development near the town centre, was opened on May 18th 1967.

Closed in January 1981 for conversion into a triple screen it re-opened on 9th April 1981 with seating in the three screens for 477, 201 and 135.

The Cannon Group took control in the mid-1980’s and it was re-named Cannon and it closed on 18th June 1992, screening its opening film Doctor Zhivago.

Cinema Treasures

The Golden Acres development seemed to have morphed into the Waterdale Centre.

It is currently being reshaped to provide a line of desire twixt the Civic and Cultural areas, from the town centre. There are still the remnants of homes, shops and a pub amongst the demolition – almost inevitably there is new paving.

Waterdale is a well-known part of Doncaster’s town centre. During its heyday it was a bustling area with people flocking to shops and the like – it was a place you had to visit while you were in town. However, it had suffered a steady decline which continued when the southern bus station closed – Frenchgate Interchange opening, and Doncaster College moved to the Hub at the Waterfront. With limited public transport entering the area and no student population on its doorstep, less people had reason to pass through.

Demolition of the College.

The Civic and Cultural Quarter is transforming Waterdale reconnecting it to the town centre. The quality and content of the plans is raising the profile of this part of town to new levels. The carefully thought out layout and consistent building design is giving the area a clear identity. It is already becoming a big attraction that draws people in and encourages redevelopment in the neighbouring areas.

Doncaster Gov

The relocated Lovers are still in love.

The weary walker is diverted toward the Civic Quarter Car Park.

The former Civic Offices are to be demolished.

Demolition of the Central Library is well under way.

Facing the former library we find the CAST Theatre, Civic Buildings and Savoy Cinema, grouped around Sir Nigel Gresley Square.

Within the square is a frieze, salvaged from the former Gaumont Cinema, the work of sculptor Newbury Abbot Trent.

The Gaumont Palace Theatre in Hall Gate at the corner of Thorne Road, Doncaster opened on 3rd September 1934 with Jesse Matthews in Evergreen.

It was designed by architects WE Trent and W Sydney Trent.

In 1949 WH Price the Borough Surveyor produced an outline plan for the area, with a green space at its heart, it was never realised. In 1955 Frederick Gibberd produced his plan to include a ten storey Town Hall, Art School, Technical College and Civic Theatre, revised and reduced in 1963 – eventually his Police Station and Law Courts were completed in 1969.

The former NHS Clinic at the ‘T Junction’ is transformed into a day care service.

The former Museum and Art Gallery now an archive and local studies centre.

The building was designed in the office of the Doncaster Borough Architect’s Department in a team led by borough architect Mr LJ Tucker. 

The ceramic designs were a later addition when it was discovered that the large open areas of glass overheated almost everything inside, the work was undertaken by LJ Tucker and family.

The sculptural work by Franta Belsky, now has a skip for company.

As a footnote the work by Fabio Barraclough reveals a murky past.

Barraclough was born in Madrid in 1923, to a Spanish mother and Yorkshire father who founded Madrid’s Chamber of Commerce. He moved to London with his family in the 1930s as a refugee from Francoist Spain. He taught fine art and sculpture at Rugby School, where colleagues considered him “highly entertaining, a most unorthodox and highly gifted” teacher. He established himself during the 1960s and early 1970s as an authority on sculpture, publishing in academic journals and becoming a member of the Royal British Society of Sculptors.

In 2000, it was revealed that Barraclough, while outwardly living the life of anti-apartheid activist since the 1970s, had been a paid informant of the South African state security police. The media was used to promote his image as a “brilliant, liberal artist with apparently impeccable credentials” in order to gain public trust, while he was funnelling money from anti-apartheid groups to the police. He died on 6th January 2019.

Wikipedia

Over the way faros the green sward is St Peter in Chains RC – A large and striking design by JH Langtry-Langton, incorporating important furnishings by J F Bentley from the predecessor church, along with good furnishings of the 1970s. The churches houses the modern successor to the medieval shrine of Our Lady of Doncaster.

Figurative stained glass by Patrick Feeny for Hardman in 1973 and abstract glass fitted in 2000 as part of reordering and revival of the shrine.

Further information on Taking Stock.

A special mention for the Danum Cultural Hub

Designed by architects Bond Bryan and built by main contractor Willmott Dixon, the new cultural and learning hub has been created following the restoration of four existing buildings. 

A key focal point of the scheme is the restored frontage of the Edwardian former Doncaster High School for Girls, which has been framed by Senior’s slimline SF52 aluminium curtain wall and showcased within a new steel-frame building. The glazed facade, which was fabricated and installed by Senior’s supply chain partner Chemplas, also features Senior’s aluminium commercial doors.

RIBA Journal

Where I was delighted to see Sir Nigel Gresley’s hat.

Shirehall – Shrewsbury

Posted on by modernmoocher

Abbey Foregate Shrewsbury SY2 6LY

The foundation stone for the new building was laid by Sir Offley Wakeman, a former chairman of the county council, on 25 July 1964. It was designed by Ralph Crowe, the County Architect, in the Modernist style, built at a cost of £1.8 million and was completed in April 1966.

It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, on 17 March 1967.

The design for the six-storey building facing Abbey Foregate involved continuous bands of glazing with concrete panels above and below: it also included an unusual ovoid-shaped council chamber which jutted out to the south-west of the main building.

Pevsner described the building as – the major monument to post-war modernism in the county.

Wikipedia

Shropshire Council initially backed a scheme drawn up by HLM Architects in 2017 to revamp Shirehall to provide modern working facilities as well as commercial opportunities. However this plan has not progressed and the local authority has said that making the building fit for purpose would require ‘a multi-million pound investment’.

Architects Journal

in September 2020, the council indicated that it would rather sell the building and move to the town centre. Then in October 2020, following an application for a certificate of immunity from listing requested by the county council, English Heritage decided not to list County Hall as the building did not meet the criteria for listing post-1945 buildings. 

In May 2021 the Twentieth Century Society placed the site on its Top 10 Buildings at Risk List.

The Shrewsbury Civic Society is fighting hard to prevent the demolition.

There is nothing else quite like it in the county, this is an excellent civic building, well-made and individual.

Owen Hatherley: Modern Buildings in Britain: A Gazetteer

I have previously visited Durham where the County Hall is also under threat, and Newcastle, where the Civic Centre seems to have a real future.

This what I saw on my recent visit to the site.

Raven Meadows Car Park – Shrewsbury

Posted on by modernmoocher

Shropshire Council Raven Meadows Shrewsbury SY1 1PL

Built by Truscon Ltd. – 1969

I am a disabled driver and found a lot of the direction signs worn away. When I came to leave I wanted to use the machine on the ground floor. This was out of order, as a lot of other people found. The office was empty as the staff were outside smoking. I then had to negotiate stars back to the 7th floor where the next machine was located. There was no sign on the ground floor machine telling it was out of use and where the next machine was located.

If staff want to have a smoke they should at least leave someone in the office.

Most of the parking spaces are very tight and I would not recommend the use of this car park unless you have a small car and a crystal ball to find the disabled parking and the payment meters.

Parkopedia

The rudest man at the kiosk, that I have ever had an encounter with, over a ticket that was blurred. He had a go at me for not going to him straight away – I went when I went to leave and it wouldn’t work. He also had a go at me because I pressed the buzzer on the intercom. Very strange unhelpful man. Made an issue for no reason! Awful to deal with I never write reviews, but I hope this gets back to him and with hope he will gain some manners.

Being a pedestrian, I entered through the bus station on foot.

The station is considered to be dated due to its 1980s architecture partially under a 1960s multi-storey car park. There have been plans for the station to be modernised and rebuilt, or even demolished completely, as part of the town’s Big Town Plan. The demolition of the station would mean the town would not have a central bus terminus and would instead use smaller sites on the town’s Park and Ride routes.

Wikipedia

Shrewsbury Bus Station is a disgrace. I am embarrassed to use it. I don’t feel comfortable with using it. Yet, it is the bus hub for our county. It is one of the main gateways into Shrewsbury and Shropshire for those travelling by public transport.

New bus hubs and interchanges have been developed around the country. Shropshire Council meanwhile ignores Shrewsbury Bus Station. It promises a new bus interchange, but that is in Phase 4 of its plans to redevelop Shrewsbury town centre between Pride Hill and the riverfront. In the current financial climate and with the council stretched to the limit on existing funding, Phase 4 is probably more than a decade away.

Maybe now in fantasy land.

Andybodders

Then took the lift to the seventh level – the ninth and eleventh being closed to motor cars.

But not the intrepid pedestrian.

This is an informative video tour of the area.

Titterstone Clee Hill Quarry

Posted on by modernmoocher

Titterstone Clee is the third-highest hill in Shropshire rising at the summit to 533 metres – 1,749 ft above sea level.

Most of the summit of the hill is affected by man-made activity, the result of hill fort construction during the Bronze and Iron Ages and, more recently, by years of mining for coal and quarrying for dolerite, known locally as dhustone, for use in road-building. Many derelict quarry buildings scattered over the hill are of industrial archaeological interest as very early examples of the use of reinforced concrete.

Near the summit trig point are the remains of a Bronze Age cairn, dating back up to 4,000 years and indicating that the summit was a likely ceremonial site. Although partly destroyed by quarrying, Titterstone Clee’s Iron Age hill fort is enclosed by a huge boundary earthworks.

 It is of note that the walls of the fort are made up of stone blocks, instead of earth banks.

© A. Brookes – 29.9.2018

Clee Hill is one of only a few hills and mountains noted on the Hereford Mappa Mundi.

Crumbling remains of quarry buildings now litter the hill, reminders of a bygone industry that once employed more than 2,000 people here.

Wikipedia

Shopping Precincts – Once More

Posted on by modernmoocher

It all began way back when I was a raw youth living in Ashton under Lyne – the precinct was our playground, cycling and running, often against the grain, up and down the travelator.

Some sixty years later I am still enthralled by the nation’s shopping precincts – including the very local Merseyway.

There have been two previous postcard posts – Shopping Precincts – UK and Shopping Precincts – UK Again.

Plus visits to various locations Hanley, Preston, Salford, Coventry, Billingham and Swinton.

So on a wet day in May, why not trawl the internet in search of old pastures new – when the shopping world really was new.

Come with me now on an alphabetical tour of the country’s finest precinct postcards.

Sadly many of these sites may well have been subsequently remade and remodelled, or even demolished.

Andover

Blackburn

Burton on Trent

Chandlers Ford

Chester

Coventry

Cowplain

Dartford

Dunstable

Exeter

Glenrothes

Gloucester

Hanley

Jaywick

Kingwinsford

Leyland

Poole

Portishead

Solihull

Southampton

Stenhousemuir

Stevenage

Swanley

New Washington

Concrete Coast – Bridlington

Posted on by modernmoocher

The last post on the concrete coast was from Filey

Now we’re heading south to Bridlington and beyond.

Where we find another dense cluster of sea defences, some but not all extant.

After the south coast, both East Anglia and the Yorkshire Coastline were identified as vulnerable to invasion. Bridlington Bay, was and ideal location for an invasion; flat sandy beaches for amphibious landing crafts, above the foreshore flat landscapes perfect for tanks and gliders to land, an isolated small population with only the residence of Bridlington close by and finally the control of an established port at Bridlington, once it was under German control. According to the Defence of Britain Survey undertaken in the Late 90’s, Northern Command had some of the best defend beaches in the country, this includes Bridlington.

Citizan

eDoB

Here there are forces, past and present, at work shaping the landscape and the manmade addenda.

The remorseless waves, wind and rain eroding the coastal clay and contorted concrete.

Anti-tank blocks line the foreshore here; with deep foundation they are meant to be so immovable that tanks cannot go through them and rather have to go over them, exposing the weakly armour undersides of the tanks, which can then be fired at. The anti-tank blocks are arranged in batches of both parallel and perpendicular to the sea, which helps to divide up the beach and channel enemies towards the pillboxes and into fire.

Citizan

Coastal Concrete – Filey

Posted on by modernmoocher

Once more unto the beach, dear friends, once more, or close the wall up with our English dead. 

Having visited Cayton Bay last year I ventured forth last week, to Filey and beyond.

The shore toward Hunmanby Gap when faced with the threat of invasion, was home to a plethora of coastal defences, formed from raw concrete between the years 1941 and 1942, along with attendant armed forces.

Map – eDoB online

Pill boxes, anti-landing trenches, anti-tank obstacles, beach lights, coastal batteries, flame fourgasses, gun emplacements and machine gun posts were clustered along the coast.

The majority have subsequently been removed, a few are extant – slipping from their cliff-top positions, as the soft clays have been eroded.

Their remains are now skewed and diminished by the weather and the North Sea’s formidable waves, taking on striking sculptural forms, embedded in the shifting sands.

During May 1940 the branch of the Directorate of Fortifications and Works – FW3, at the War Office was set up under the Directorship of Major-General G.B.O. Taylor. Its purpose was to provide specific pillbox designs to be constructed throughout the countryside at defensive locations.

During June and July 1940 saw the FW3 branch issue seven basic designs. However, often, once in the field, the local construction companies modified these under the direction of the area commands.

The FW3 pillbox design concept was to provide a simple fieldwork standard that could be constructed very quickly. Most designs consisted of or incorporated some of the following features:

Minimum of Bullet/Splinter Proof protection
No attempt was made to provide living accommodation
Some designs were enhanced to Shell Proof standard
Simple Blast Walls to protect open entrances
External flat side walls with rectangular or polygonal shape

The use of common designs with standard sizes for doors, loopholes and flat sides made it easier to mass produce items for concrete shuttering and hence the speed of construction. However, with the general countrywide lack of material it was often necessary to use bricks as the shuttering. This often fools the casual observer into believing that the whole structure is constructed of brick. Closer examination often reveals the integral reinforced concrete back-bone.

Pill Box Study Group

Bradford Revisited

Posted on by modernmoocher

We arrive at and begin our journey at the Interchange – the bus station is closed, along with the station entrance.

Bradford accepts that it is a part of the Northern Supercity stretching from Coast to Coast – Liverpool to Hull. Every existing town and new settlement must be unique. People belong to their own hotspot as well as Coast to Coast. Bradford as a dispersed centre will give it individuality as well as becoming synonymous with the whole new city. Bradford is a mini version of the whole. It is composed of a series of mini hotspots which will each act as a focus for each square kilometre.

Bradford has the topography to allow every citizen to wake up to a view – both physical and mental. Their collective ambition can create a place of extraordinary difference.

Will Alsop

We have of course been here before.

Bradford Interchange will get a new entrance and other improvements to bring it up to standard, the city council said. 

The NCP car park on Hall Ings would be demolished to create a new pedestrianised entrance.

BBC

The Interchange opened in 1971 was the first of its kind in the country, designed by the BR regional team headed by RL Moorcroft and the City Architect.

Onward to the Magistrates’ Courts designed by City Architect Clifford Brown in 1972.

Bradford is in the process of paving and puzzling pedestrians, as it becomes City of Culture in 2025.

So we wind our way over the inner ring road, advisedly avoiding the filled in underpasses.

The former Central Library awaits us, designed in 1965 by Clifford Brown – a striking podium and tower, currently home to council offices.

Next door the Sir Henry Mitchell House home to the Children’s Services.

Sir Henry Mitchell 1824 1898 was a mill owner and Mayor.

Moving further along the Telephone Exchange of 1936, design by architect FA Key.

Partner to the Telephone Exchange of 1976 by architect Trevor H Hanson for PSA

The gates were open and we were afforded a view of these delightful vents.

Next to the Ice Arena topped off with Wardley House – Sanctuary accommodation for key workers and students.

Wardley House is equipped with all the modern amenities you need for a comfortable and connected life as a key worker. The rent includes high-speed broadband and building-wide Wi-Fi, utility bills, and contents insurance. Our top-notch facilities comprise a large common room with a pool table, flat-screen TV, and live BT Sport – the perfect social space.

Up the hill and around the bend to the University of Bradford – the main Richmond Building fronted by Joe Mayo’s tiles.

At the University of Bradford our focus is on creating the conditions for social, cultural and economic impact. We will achieve this by using our proud heritage as a springboard and remaining steadfast in our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. We will harness our strengths in research, innovation, teaching and partnerships to extend our reputation, influence and impact. All of this will create a values-led culture that is inclusive and effective in enriching lives and benefitting society.

The undercroft has undergone a major refurb rethink – transformed into a Goth Disco.

We emerge unscathed into the clear light of day and the BDP designed Chesham and Horton blocks.

The mosaic covered columns remain unclad.

Let’s hop to the Grade II-listed Co-op designed by CWS in house architect WA Johnson and JW Cropper in 1935.

Architect W A Johnson worked for the Cooperative Wholesale Society from 1899 until 1950. He was heavily influenced by the German architect Erich Mendelsohn after 1930, evident in his embrace of the International Modernist style. Johnson travelled widely in Germany and Holland, and Mendelsohn’s Schocken store in Stuttgart 1928 is quoted as being a particular inspiration for the Bradford Co-op.

Demolished despite protests in 1960.

In 2019 the Architectural Heritage Fund announced a £5,000 Project Viability Grant to Freedom Studios Ltd.

The money funded a viability study to investigate the potential of building becoming a multi-use cultural hub.

As of May 2024, sadly there is no cultural hub.

Next we hot foot it to the Kirkgate Centre and Market – John Brunton and Partners 1975.

In 1979, the building won a European award from the International Council of Shopping Centres.

But the Historic England report described its design as mundane and repetitive.

Janice Ivory and Lisa Donison didn’t hold back in their criticism of the centre in its current state.

Thank God for that, was Janice’s reaction to the news the building was set to be bulldozed, although an exact date for its closure remains unknown.

It’s just a concrete monstrosity, she said of its design, which Historic England said was lacking architectural flair.

It’s just an ugly building, added Lisa.

Once dubbed Bradford’s space age retail destination, Kirkgate Shopping Centre will soon be no more. 

The city centre landmark, which opened for business as an Arndale in 1976, has been denied listed status by Historic England – paving the way for its demolition.

BBC

Geoffrey Cowley from Wibsey, who was in town for an eye appointment, said demolishing it:

Might be the right thing to do.

There are plans to remove and display the William Mitchell panels along with these other examples of his work.

In-situ at Highpoint.

In storage – removed from the Bradford And Bingley Building Society.

Artist Bernd Trasberger plans an artistic project, which involves repurposing Fritz Steller’s tile works.

As Ken Kesey so rightly said – Further!

Up to Highpoint designed by John Brunton and Partners 1973.

The derelict former headquarters of Yorkshire Building Society, on one of the highest parts of the city centre, looms over the city centre, and to many people is the city’s ugliest building.

High Point is the perfect site for the first Radii development. Now perceived as an exemplar of the Brutalist style, this eight-storey titan, has languished derelict and in disrepair for many years in the heart of Bradford City Centre.

Our regeneration of High Point into an innovative residential apartment complex with a community at its heart, embraces ideas of sustainability, preservation, and rejuvenation that will bring a new lease of life to this abandoned landmark.

Sharp, chic and spacious apartments available. Furnished to the highest standards throughout and with the flex to provide you with office space if required – this is modern city living that’s easy on your eye and your pocket.

Radiiliving

And finally the cafe that is not a cafe – Fountains, where the griddle no longer grills, the lights are always out and the shutters tightly shut, ain’t nobody home.

Wishing nothing but well for this West Riding gem – Bradford City of Culture and cultures and culture.