Description

SJ89SW
698-1/8/842

MANCHESTER
Barlow Moor
LAPWING LANE (South west side)
Former Withington Town Hall

05/11/90

II
Local Board of Health Offices, now former Town Hall. Probably c.1880-1890. Buff brick with dressings of red brick and red terracotta, slate roof.

Rectangular plan at right-angles to street, formed by entrance block parallel to street, rear block on the same axis, and an intermediate range between these. Two unequal storeys and five bays, symmetrical,with banded red brick plinth, red brick pilasters (banded at first floor), pierced parapet with urn finials and central clock-turret.

The ground floor has a round-headed doorway with terracotta architrave including fluted pilasters, rusticated voussoirs with scrolled keystone and enriched pediment on scrolled consoles, and two windows to each bay, with buff brick pilasters and red terracotta heads.

The first floor has large elliptical-arched windows with similar pilasters and enriched red terracotta heads and keystones,containing tripartite sashes with coloured small-paned heads; and over the central bay is a gable containing a terracotta roundel with a shield and console supporters, under a semi-circular band with raised lettering "LOCAL BOARD OFFICES", and behind this a short pyramidal turret supporting a square clock with swept copper-clad fleche finished with a weathervane.

The gable walls are similar to the front, that to the left with a large elliptical-arched window at first floor, and both with shaped gables and enriched triangular pediments of red terracotta. Lower ranges to rear in similar materials but simpler style.

Interior: large open-well staircase with ornamental cast-iron balusters; first-floor assembly hall.

History: Withington Local Board formed in 1876, became Urban District Council 1894. Good example of modest late C19 civic building, representing an important phase in the development of local government.

Listing NGR: SJ8428392141

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Former Withington Town Hall at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q26579621

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

• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Period property manual, victorian house manual 2 books collection set by ian rock
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings